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PRECIOUS  STONES  AND  GEMS. 


Howlett  &  Son,  Old  Style  Printers,  io,  Frith  Street,  Soho,  London,  W. 


TAVERNIER’S  “BLUE''  DIAMOND 

(Rough ) 


E  “HOPE”  BLUE  DIAMOND 


HOPE”  BLUE  DIAMOND, 
Mounted 


PRECIOUS  STONES 


AND 

GEMS, 

THEIR  HISTORY  AND  DISTINGUISHING  CHARACTERISTICS. 


BY 

EDWIN  W.  STREETER,  F.R.G.S.,  M.fl.I. 

Gold  Medallist  of  the  Royal  Order  of  Frederic  ; 

Holder  of  a  Gold  Medal  from  H.  M.  the  King  of  the  Belgians ; 

Author  of  “  THE  GREAT  DIAMONDS  OF  THE  WORLD;” 
“GOLD  ;  its  Legal  Regulations  and  Standards <5ec.,  <5 rv. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


FOURTH  EDITION  REVISED. 


BOSTON : 

ESTES  AND  LAURIAT. 

1887. 

Cons,  . 

391 


h 


1ST  OF 


J  LLUST  F^ATION  S . 


The  “Blue”  Diamond 
Proper  Sizes  of  Brilliants 
Brazilian  Diamond  ... 

Cape  Diamond  (Octahedron) 

„  „  (In  Matrix,  with  Garnet) 

Rubies 
Sapphires 
Emeralds 
Turquoise 
Topaz... 

Opal  . 

Alexandrite  ... 

Rubies  and  Sapphire  (in  Sand) 

Cat’s  Eye  . 

Amethyst 
Rock  Crystal 
Aquamarine  ... 

Tourmaline 

Peridot 

Garnet 


Frontispiece 
Facing  page  44 
»  i°7 


158 


3°i 


20  r 


230 


ONTENTS. 


PAGES 

To  the  Reader  ...  ...  ...  .  ix 

Preface  to  the  Fourth  Edition  .  xiv 

SECTION  I.— PRECIOUS  STONES  IN  GENERAL.— 


Chapter 

I . 

...Definition  of  the  terms 
“  Precious  Stone  ”  or 
“Gem”  ... 

17 — 20 

>> 

n . 

....Where  Precious  Stones 

are  found 

2 1—24 

in . 

. . . .  Precious  Stones  and 

their  uses  in  bygone 

TIMES 

25—32 

ff 

IV . 

....The  Working  of  Pre- 

cious  Stones 

33—54 

v> 

V . 

....Precious  Stones  as  Ob- 
jects  of  Commerce  .  . 

55—6i 

SECTION  II.— DIAMONDS.— 

Chapter 

I . 

...The  Diamond  ... 

62 — 81 

II.  ... 

...Cape  or  South- African 

Diamonds 

O 

O 

I 

M 

00 

M 

Ill . 

....Australian  Diamonds... 

101 —106 

ff 

IV . 

....Brazilian  Diamonds  ... 

107 — 1 18 

If 

V . 

_ Indian  Diamonds 

119— 132 

y> 

VI . 

....Borneo  Diamonds 

i33— 135 

?> 

VII . 

....Colored  Diamonds 

136—143 

if 

VIII.  .. 

. ...Bokt,  Carbonado,  and 
Boron 

143— 147 

ff 

IX . 

....Rough  Diamonds 

148—15° 

SECTION  III— COLORED  STONES.— 

Chapter 

I . 

....Corundum 

*5*  — 157 

y> 

II . 

....The  Oriental  Ruby  ... 

15s — 1 65 

Ill . 

....The  Sapphire  ... 

166 — 173 

IV . 

...The  Emerald  ... 

174  185 

Vll. 

PAGLS 

Chapter 

V . 

.Spinel  and  Balas  Rubies 

186 — 190 

>> 

VI . 

.The  Opal 

191 — 196 

n 

VII . 

.The  True  Cat’s  Eye  ... 

197 — 201 

VIII . 

.The  Turquoise  ... 

202 — 208 

fi 

IX . 

.Asterias,  or  Star  Stones 

209 — 21 1 

SECTION 

IV.  —  PRECIOUS  AND  SEMI  -  PRECIOUS 
STONES  OF  INFERIOR  VALUE. — 

Chapter 

I . 

..Agate  ... 

2 1 3—2 1 7 

II . 

..Alexandrite  ... 

218 — 219 

Ill  . 

..Amazonite 

220  —  221 

>> 

IV . 

..Amber  ... 

222 — 226 

> 

V . 

..Amethyst 

227 — -229 

5' 

VI . 

..Aquamarine 

230 — 232 

5> 

VII . 

..Avanturine 

2.33—234 

VIII . 

..Bloodstone 

23s 

,, 

IX . 

..Carnelian 

236—239 

1  J 

X . 

..Chrysoberyl 

240 — 24  2 

?> 

XI . 

..Chrysoprase  ... 

243—245 

?  J 

XII . 

..  Crocidolite 

246 — 247 

)» 

XIII . 

..Euclase  ... 

248 

15 

XIV . 

..Garnet,  Carbuncle  and 
Cinnamon  Stone  ... 

249—256 

>> 

XV . 

..Hematite 

257—258 

XVI . 

.Hiddenite 

259 

)> 

XVII . 

.  .IoLITE 

260 

>? 

XVIII.... 

.Jade 

261  — 262 

*> 

XIX . 

..Jasper  ... 

263 — 266 

>> 

XX . 

...Labrador 

267 — 268 

1) 

XXI . 

..Lapis  Lazuli 

269 — 271 

>> 

XXII.... 

..Malachite 

272—275 

n 

XXIII.... 

..Moonstone,  Selenite  and 

SuNSTONE. 

276—279 

>> 

XXIV... 

..Obsidian 

280 

5) 

XXV . 

..  Oriental  Onyx... 

281 — 284 

?» 

XXVI.... 

..Peridot  or  Chrysolite 

285 — 287 

?> 

XXVII.. 

.Phenakite 

288 — 289 

Vlll. 


PAGES 


Chapter 

XXVIII.. 

..Quartz  Cat’s  Eye 

290 

XXIX.  . 

..Rock  Crystal  ... 

...  291 — 296 

XXX . 

. .Sphene  ... 

297 — 298 

XXXI.  . 

..Spodumene 

•••  299—300 

?? 

XXXII.  . 

..Topaz 

...  301-304 

XXXIII. 

..Tourmaline 

...  305—308 

XXXIV.. 

..Zircon,  Jargoon, 

OR 

Hyacinth 

...  309—312 

XXXV.  . 

..Coral  ... 

...  313—318 

XXXVI.. 

..Pearls  ... 

3r9 

ADDENDA. 

The  Diamonds  of  tfie  United  States  and  New 

Zealand  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  320 

APPENDIX  A. 

ON  THE  SCIENTIFIC  DISCRIMINATION  OF  PRECIOUS 


STONES. 

Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  322 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  324 

Optical  Properties  : 

Reflection  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  324 

Refraction  ...  ...  ...  ...  .  ...  325 

Dispersion  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  325 

Double  Refraction...  ...  ...  ...  ...  326 

Polarization...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  326 

Pleiochroism...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  327 

APPENDIX  B. 

Remarks  on  the  Term  “Carat”  ...  ...  ...  328 


Index  ...  .  ...  ...  .  329 


TO  THE  READER. 


ANY  pages  have  been  written  on  the  history 
of  PRECIOUS  STONES.  Authorities  on 
authorities,  from  remote  antiquity  to  this  our 
day,  have  been  cited  as  to  their  value,  their 
uses,  their  beauties,  and  their  properties,  but  still  one 
might  venture  to  say  that  there  are  fewer  judges  of  the 
genuineness  and  real  value  of  Precious  Stones  than  there 
are  treatises  to  guide  people  to  such  knowledge.  Would 
it  be  altogether  unwarrantable  to  express  a  grave  doubt 
whether  even  in  the  trade  there  are  very  many  skilled  in 
detecting  the  real  measure  of  difference  between  one  stone 
and  another,  either  by  that  most  essential  test,  the  specific 
gravity,  or  by  minor  tests  of  a  more  trivial  character  ?  Be 
this  as  it  may,  I  have  arrived  at  the  deliberate  conviction, 
as  a  merchant  and  dealer  long  versed  in  the  purchase  and 
sale  of  gems,  that  some  practical  and  popular  guide  to 
those  who  have  an  interest  in  ascertaining  and  testing 
the  genuineness  and  value  of  Precious  Stones,  is  urgently 
needed,  and  cannot  fail  to  be  generally  useful. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  difficulties  of  the  subject  it 
may  be  stated  that  Professer  Church,  in  a  lecture  delivered 


X. 


before  the  Society  of  Arts  on  April  6th,  1881,  pointed  out 
a  number  of  errors  in  the  identification  of  a  collection  of 
Precious  Stones  which  had  been  exhibited  for  years  at  the 
South  Kensington  Museum,  although  the  official  descrip¬ 
tion  of  these  stones  had  been  confided  to  a  well-known 
professor  of  mineralogy  and  expert  in  gems. 

In  the  division  of  family  jewels  much  injustice  is  often 
done  by  persons  incompetent  to  form  a  correct  opinion  of 
their  relative  values.  A  study  of  this  handbook  may  serve 
to  demonstrate  the  difficulty  of  an  accurate  discrimination. 
In  all  cases  it  would  be  wise  to  submit  the  jewels  to  a 
practised  judge,  whether  for  valuation  or  for  probate.  It 
is  not  right  to  leave  the  decision  to  some  house  agent  or 
mutual  friend. 

A  lady  had  bequeathed  to  her  some  family  jewels, 
consisting  of  a  Sapphire  and  Diamond  suite.  As  they 
had  passed  probate  several  times,  there  was  no  doubt  in  the 
mind  of  the  legatee  of  the  genuineness  of  the  Sapphires. 
On  being  applied  to  in  relation  to  their  value,  I  had  to  pro¬ 
nounce  the  '•  Sapphires  ”  to  be  only  paste.  Had  they  been 
genuine  they  would  have  realized  from  £30,000  to  ,£40,000. 

One  often  sees  the  Spinel  and  the  Balas — the  one  a 
lively  poppy-red,  and  the  other  a  vfolet-rose — usurping 
the  dignity  of  the  true  Ruby  ;  and  yet  the  pure  Ruby  of 
ten  carats  is  worth  from  £3,800  to  £4,800,  while  the  other 
stones,  called  by  the  same  name,  would  be  dear  at  one 
hundred  pounds. 

A  gem  should  be  a  real  possession,  capable  of  affording 
pleasure  to  the  wearer  and  the  spectator,  and,  with  fair 
usage,  retaining  an  intrinsic  and  marketable  value,  undi¬ 
minished  by  lapse  of  time.  I  have  sometimes  seen  in 
wear  gems  so  scratched  that  their  lustre  has  been  seriously 
impaired,  and  a  suspicion  was  thus  excited  in  the  minds 
of  wearers,  friends,  and  dealers,  that  there  was  a  defect  in 


XI. 


the  hardness  of  the  stones,  and  consequently  in  their 
genuineness.  It  may  be  worth  while  to  point  out  that  a 
small  sum  expended  in  re-polishing  such  stones  would  re¬ 
store  their  original  lustre,  revive  the  pleasure  derived  from 
the  possession  of  them,  and  prevent  the  risk  of  their  being 
sold  as  paste  or  imitation  jewelry. 

The  value  of  Precious  Stones  must  vary  to  some 
extent  with  the  caprice  of  fashion — a  gem  which  at  one 
period  stands  high  in  public  favour  being  at  another  time 
less  eagerly  sought  after.  Thus  :  the  Chrysolite  of  the 
Ancients,  though  highly  esteemed  by  them,  has  not 
retained  its  popular  character. 

It  is  quite  pardonable  and  of  small  consequence,  that 
the  characteristics  of  the  less  valuable  gem-stones  should 
be  comparatively  unknown  ;  but  there  are  Precious  Stones 
about  which  there  should  be  no  doubt  in  the  mind  either  of 
the  purchaser  or  the  merchant,  viz.,  the  Diamond,  Ruby, 
Emerald,  Sapphire,  Opal,  Cat’s-eye,  Alexandrite,  and 
Pearl. 

In  other  matters  the  distinction  between  a  genuine 
and  a  fictitious  material  is  generally  well  understood,  and 
fastidiously  recognised.  A  lady  refuses  to  wear  a  gown 
composed  of  an  inferior  fabric,  intended  to  represent  silk, 
because  its  color,  texture,  and  draping  indicate  to  every 
experienced  eye,  the  substitution  of  the  false  for  the  real  ; 
but  she  often  seems  to  ignore  the  fact  that  the  color,  the 
brilliancy,  and  the  texture  of  a  true  gem,  are  as  dis¬ 
tinguishable  from  those  of  the  false  or  mere  imitation,  as 
the  cotton  is  from  the  silk.  We  presume  to  believe  that 
in  the  case  of  the  gown,  which  in  a  few  nights’  wear  alto¬ 
gether  loses  its  worth,  the  genuineness  of  the  material  is 
of  far  less  consequence  than  it  is  in  the  case  of  gems, 
which  should  be  heirlooms  of  value,  not  much  deteriorated 
by  the  lapse  of  years. 


Xll. 


In  determining  the  value  of  gems,  it  should  be  borne 
in  mind  that  a  perfect  stone  is  rarely  met  with  ;  and  that 
probably,  not  even  ten  per  cent,  of  the  stones  which  are 
brought  into  commerce  are  really  of  fine  quality.  In  the 
mineral  kingdom,  as  in  other  departments  of  nature,  per¬ 
fection  is  almost  unknown. 

Much  study  and  attention  will  be  required  to  attain 
a  knowledge  of  the  properties  and  appearance  of  gems, 
but  the  subject  is  by  no  means  unattractive,  and  may  be 
turned  to  good  account. 

With  objects  such  as  those  referred  to  above,  I  am 
publishing  the  present  volume,  the  outcome  of  more  than 
thirty-seven  years’  experience,  and  of  the  united  knowledge 
of  many  men  of  science  and  of  my  contemporaries  in  trade. 
I  hope  that  it  may  be  some  service  to  us  as  merchants, 
and  to  the  public  in  general. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  this  book  is  not  in¬ 
tended  to  be  a  strictly  scientific  treatise,  but  rather  a  prac¬ 
tical  work  for  those  who,  whether  in  the  trade  or  among 
the  public  at  large,  desire  to  obtain  some  knowledge  of 
the  general  characteristics  of  Precious  Stones  and  Gems. 

In  conclusion,  I  trust  that  the  Goldsmiths’  Company, 
as  fathers  of  the  trade,  will  ere  long  throw  open  their 
fine  suite  of  rooms  in  Foster  Lane,  and  will  not  only 
establish  a  comprehensive  library  of  books  bearing  on  the 
study  of  jewelry,  but  by  giving  gratuitious  Lectures  on 
Precious  Stones  and  Precious  Metals,  will  offer  that  aid  to 
the  younger  members  of  our  trade  which  is  necessary  for  a 
proper  understanding  of  their  daily  business.  To  this 
Company  we  must  also  look  for  aids  to  the  more  general 
appreciation  of  fine  art  jewelry,  by  affording  favourable 
opportunities  for  exhibitions,  and  by  awarding  prizes, 
similar  to  those  offered  by  the  Turners’  Company,  This 
would  give  an  impetus  to  study  to  those  engaged  in 


xiii. 

jewelry-work,  and  would  enable  the  public  to  obtain  a 
more  accurate  knowledge  of,  and  to  take  a  deeper  interest 
in,  a  subject  which  has  hitherto  remained  the  property  of 
an  exclusive  few. 

The  legacies  bequeathed  to  the  Goldsmiths’  Company 
by  the  famous  goldsmiths  and  jewellers  of  the  15th,  16th, 
and  17th  centuries,  which  have  since  increased  in  value 
to  an  extent  almost  inconceivable,  without  doubt  were 
intended  for  some  such  purposes  as  those  to  which  I  have 
referred.  I  find  that  so  early  as  1415,  a  celebrated  gold¬ 
smith,  Sir  Drugo  Barentine,  who  was  Lord  Mayor  of 
London  in  1398,  and  again  in  1408,  gave  “  faire  lands  ”  to 
this  Company. 

For  the  subject  matter  which  forms  the  basis  of  this 
volume,  I  am  in  an  especial  manner  indebted  to  the  work  of 
Professor  Kluge,  translated  by  Mrs.  Brewer  ;  and  I  have 
also  to  acknowledge  my  obligations  to  Major  F.  B. 
Beaumont,  Mr.  James  A.  Forster,  and  others  who  have 
obligingly  contributed  information. 

EDWIN  W.  STREETER 

Bond  Street, 

London,  1884. 


The  “Shah"  Diamond,  weight  86  carats 


PREFACE  TO  THE  FOURTH  EDITION. 


OTHING  could  shew  more  clearly  the  appre¬ 
ciation  of  this  work  by  an  intelligent  public, 
than  the  fact  that  the  last  edition  has  been 
completely  exhausted  within  two  years  of 
its  issue.  Stimulated  by  this  marked  encouragement  of 
my  labors,  I  have  endeavoured  to  make  the  volume  still 
more  worthy  of  its  popularity  ;  and  with  this  view,  have 
not  only  added  such  new  matter  as  the  progress  of  our 
knowledge  has  rendered  necessary,  but  have  subjected 
the  entire  work  to  a  searching  revision,  so  that  certain 
chapters  have  been  almost  re-written. 

It  was  stated  in  the  Introduction  to  the  last  Edition, 
that  I  contemplated  at  that  time  the  publication  of  a 
work  on  celebrated  Diamonds.  That  intention  has  since 
been  realized,  and  a  volume  of  some  320  pages  has  been 
published  under  the  title  of  “The  Great  Diamonds  of  the 
World  ;  their  History  and  Romance.'’  The  publication  of 
this  work — a  work  which  has  been  most  favourably  received 
by  the  press — has  rendered  it  needless  to  enlarge  on  the 


XV. 


subject  in  the  present  volume,  and  accordingly,  the  chap¬ 
ter  on  “  celebrated  Diamonds,”  which  appeared  in  former 
editions,  has  been  advisedly  omitted. 

Another  alteration  in  the  present  edition  also  needs 
explanation.  A  short  time  ago  I  was  induced  to  send 
my  two  sons  on  a  visit  to  the  various  Pearl  fisheries 
of  the  world.  The  information  which  I  have  received 
from  them  has  been  of  so  interesting  a  character,  that  my 
attention  has  been  forcibly  directed  to  the  entire  subject 
of  Pearls,  and  I  have  already  accumulated  far  too  much 
matter  for  introduction  into  this  volume.  Under  these 
circumstances  I  have  set  myself  the  task  of  writing  a 
separate  work,  to  be  devoted  entirely  to  Pearls,  and  I 
have,  therefore,  not  given  any  detailed  account  of  them  in 
the  present  volume  The  treatise  on  Pearls  which  I  have 
in  contemplation,  will,  I  hope,  be  in  the  hands  of  the 
public  some  time  next  autumn. 

Notwithstanding  the  excision  of  the  chapters  on 
Great  Diamonds  and  on  Pearls,  it  will  be  found  that  the 
bulk  of  the  present  edition  far  exceeds  that  of  the  last — 
a  sufficient  proof  of  the  quantity  of  new  matter  which  has 
been  introduced  in  connection  with  other  subjects. 

It  has  been  deemed  desirable  to  add  a  short  account 
of  the  various  scientific  means  used  for  the  discrimination 
of  gem-stones ;  but  this  matter,  being  necessarily  of  a 
rather  technical  character,  has  been  printed  in  the  shape  of 
an  appendix  at  the  end  of  the  volume.  Another  novel 
feature  of  this  edition  consists  in  the  addition  of  the 
chemical  composition  and  physical  characters  of  each 
stone,  set  out  in  tabular  form,  at  the  close  of  the  chapter 
devoted  to  the  description  of  the  stone  in  question.  It  is 
believed  that  this  plan  will  be  found  far  more  convenient 
for  reference  than  the  ordinary  mode  of  inserting  such 
details  in  the  body  of  the  text. 


XV!. 


With  these  additions  and  improvements,  the  present 
edition  is  sent  forth  to  the  world,  in  the  conscientious 
belief  that  it  contains  an  amount  of  information  on  Precious 
Stones — partly  scientific  and  partly  practical— not  to  be 
found  in  any  other  work  in  the  English  language. 

I  cannot  close  this  Preface  without  acknowledging 
the  aid  which  I  have  received  from  my  friend,  Mr.  F.  W. 
Rudler,  Curator  of  the  Museum  of  Practical  Geology,  in 
Jermyn  Street,  whose  mineralogical  knowledge  has  always 
been  cheerfully  placed  at  my  service  when  difficulties  of 
a  scientific  character  have  arisen. 

EDWIN  W.  STREETER. 

London,  1884, 


The  Great  “Tabic"  Diamond ,  242:}  carats. 


SECTION  I. 


PRECIOUS  STONES  IN  GENERAL, 


CHAPTER  I. 

DEFINITION  OF  THE  TERM  PRECIOUS  STONE  OR  GEM, 


MONG  the  varied  products  of  Inorganic 
Nature,  there  are  certain  mineral  sub¬ 
stances  that  form  a  small  class  by  them¬ 
selves — standing  apart  from  all  others  by 
the  possession  of  exceptional  characters  which  have  always 
attracted  the  attention  of  persons  endowed  with  taste  and 
refinement.  These  minerals  are  distinguished  as  Precious 
Stones.  The  characters  which  have  commended  these 
stones,  in  all  ages,  for  purposes  of  personal  ornament  are 
chiefly  their  brilliancy  and  colour,  their  durability  and 
rarity.  It  is  not  sufficient,  however,  that  a  stone  should 
possess  only  one  of  these  characteristics.  The  mineralogist 
is  familiar  with  many  stones  that  are  exquisite  in  colour, 
yet  far  too  soft  to  be  used  for  purposes  of  decoration  ;  on 
the  other  hand,  there  may  be  stones  of  exceeding  hard¬ 
ness  and  durability,  yet  destitute  of  any  beauty  of  colour 

B 


1 8  Definition  ofi  the  term  Precious  Stone  or  Gem. 

or  lustre,  and  therefore  unfitted  for  personal  adornment 
Colour  alone  is  by  no  means  a  necessary  property  in  a 
precious  stone  :  the  most  valuable  diamonds,  for  example, 
are  absolutely  destitute  of  colour ;  nevertheless,  they 
possess  the  power  of  breaking  up  the  rays  of  light  which 
fall  upon  them,  or  pass  into  their  substance,  into  rainbow¬ 
like  tints  of  cranscendent  beauty.  The  diamond,  in  fact, 
unites  the  properties  of  the  most  opposite  elements — com¬ 
bining  the  purity  of  water  with  the  flash  of  fire. 

Precious  Stones  are  known  also  as  Gems.  It  should  be 
borne  in  mind,  however,  that  this  term  is  sometimes  re¬ 
stricted  by  collectors  of  works  of  art  to  engraved  stones 
— that  is,  to  camei  and  intagli,  especially  those  which 
have  come  down  to  us  from  antiquity  or  from  mediaeval 
times.  It  may,  therefore,  be  convenient,  in  order  to  avoid 
confusion,  to  refer  to  the  precious  minerals  themselves  as 
Gem-stones  rather  than  as  Gems. 

It  is  difficult  to  arrange  the  various  Precious  Stones  in 
the  order  of  their  relative  value,  that  order  being  subject 
to  occasional  variation  according  to  the  caprice  of  fashion. 
Nevertheless  it  is  believed  that  the  following  scheme,  in 
which  all  Precious  Stones  are  grouped  in  four  classes, 
fairly  indicates  the  relative  rank  which  they  take  at  the 
present  day. 

I.  The  Pearl  stands  pre-eminent.  It  is  true  that  this 
substance,  being  the  product  of  a  mollusc  or  shell-fish, 
is  not  strictly  a  mineral.  It  is,  however,  so  intimately 
related  in  many  ways  with  the  family  of  true  Precious 
Stones  that  it  properly  claims  a  place  in  any  classification, 
such  as  that  under  discussion. 

II.  In  this  second  class  at  the  present  time  are  placed 
the  Ruby,  the  Sapphire,  and  the  Oriental  Cat’s  Eye. 


Definition  of  the  term  Precious  Stone  or  Gem.  19 

III.  Then  comes  the  Diamond.  Many  readers  may 
be  surprised  to  find  the  Diamond  taking  so  subordinate  a 
rank  ;  but  the  time  has  gone  by  when  this  stone  could 
claim  a  supreme  position  in  the  market.  At  the  present 
day  the  Jagersfontein  Mine,  in  South  Africa,  produces 
Diamonds  of  pure  water  rivalling  the  finest  stones  that 
were  ever  brought  to  light  from  the  mines  of  India  or 
Brazil. 

IV.  In  this  class  may  be  placed  such  stones  as  the 
Alexandrite,  the  Jacinth,  the  Oriental  Onyx,  the  Peridot, 
the  Topaz,  and  the  Zircon.  Some  of  these  are  so  beau¬ 
tiful  that  they  deserve  to  be  more  extensively  used  in  the 
arts  of  jewelry. 

After  these  stones  comes  another  class,  which  may  be 
called  the  group  of  Semi-precious  Stones.  Many  of  these 
either  lack  transparency,  or  possess  it  in  only  very  limited 
degree;  while  those  which  are  pellucid  are  too  common 
to  command  more  than  a  trivial  value.  Such  stones  are 
frequently  used  for  inlaid  work  or  similar  ornamental 
purposes  rather  than  for  personal  decoration.  As  ex¬ 
amples  of  such  stones  may  be  cited  the  Agate,  Malachite, 
and  Rock-crystal. 

That  branch  of  Mineralogy  which  deals  with  Precious 
Stones  is  known  in  Germany  under  the  special  name  of 
Edelsteinkunde.  But  neither  in  this  country  nor  in  France 
does  it  possess  any  distinctive  title.  Perhaps  it,  may  be 
best  designated  in  English  as  “  The  Science  of  Jewelry.” 
So  far  from  being  a  trivial  or  frivolous  study,  the  Science 
of  Jewelry  implies  a  knowledge  of  all  the  properties 
and  peculiarities  of  Precious  Stones,  such  as  their 
physical  and  chemical  properties  ;  the  relation  they  bear 
to  other  minerals ;  their  shape  and  structure ;  their 


20  Definition  of  the  term  Precious  Stone  or  Gem. 

defects  and  impurities.  This  science  must,  therefore, 
include  a  competent  and  experimental  knowledge  of 
Geometry,  Physics,  Chemistry,  and  Geology.  Such 
knowledge  in  its  entirety  cannot  be  expected  to  be  found 
outside  the  laboratory.  There  are,  however,  several 
comparatively  simple  means  for  the  identification  of 
Precious  Stones,  which  are  given  in  an  Appendix  to  the 
present  work. 


CHAPTER  II. 

WHERE  PRECIOUS  STONES  ARE  FOUND. 


Tllji 

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T  is  a  familiar  fact  that  Organic  Nature  does 
not  flourish  equally  in  every  part  of  the 
world.  Each  country — or  at  least  each  zone 
of  climate — has  its  own  fauna  and  flora — 
its  peculiar  assemblage  of  animals  and  plants.  No  one 
needs  to  be  reminded  that  the  animals  and  plants  of  the 
tropics  are  widely  different  from  those  of  temperate  zones, 
while  these  again  differ  from  those  of  the  Arctic  regions 
But  when  we  turn  to  the  inorganic  world,  we  fail  to  detect 
any  similar  laws  of  distribution.  Climate,  so  far  as  we 
know,  is  without  effect  on  the  development  of  minerals 
and  rocks.  Many  minerals  are  common  to  the  hottest 
and  the  coldest  parts  of  the  world  ;  yet  they  present  no 
discernible  difference  whether  brought  from  tropical  or 
from  Polar  regions.  It  is  true  that  occasionally  there  are 
slight  local  differences  in  crystallization,  or  in  other 
physical  characters,  sufficient  to  enable  an  experienced 
mineralogist  to  say  at  once  from  what  district  the  mineral 
has  been  obtained.  But  these  trivial  differences  are  due 
rather  to  geological  than  to  geographical  conditions  ;  and 


22 


Where  Precious  Stones  are  found. 


the  assertion  may  be  confidently  repeated  that  climatic 
influences  have  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  distribu¬ 
tion  of  minerals. 

Nor  is  this  general  rule  in  any  way  broken  by  those 
exceptional  minerals  which  we  distinguish  as  Precious 
Stones.  It  was  a  pardonable  supposition  of  ancient 
writers  on  gems  that  these  beautiful  productions  of  the 
mineral  world  should  be  mainly  confined  to  tropical  coun¬ 
tries.  What  more  natural  than  the  conjecture  that  those 
favoured  regions  which  gave  birth  to  gaily-coloured  birds 
and  gorgeous  butterflies  and  flowers  of  surpassing  loveliness 
should  also  produce  minerals  of  the  rarest  brilliancy  and 
beauty!  Yet  such  a  supposition  is  purely  fanciful. 

Precious  Stones,  in  truth,  are  not  confined  to  definite 
geographical  limits  or  to  particular  climates,  but  occur 
abundantly  and  in  about  equal  perfection  in  all  latitudes. 
Nor  do  the  gem-stones  of  one  country  necessarily  differ 
from  those  of  other  parts  of  the  world.  The  Diamonds 
of  India,  for  example,  are  hardly,  if  at  all,  to  be  distin¬ 
guished,  when  polished,  from  those  found  in  the  Ural 
mountains,  or  in  Brazil,  or  at  the  Jagersfontein  Mine  in 
South  Africa.  The  Emerald  of  New  Granada,  again,  is 
much  the  same  as  that  which  is  found  in  Upper  Egypt 
or  at  Katharinenburg,  in  the  Urals.  The  Beryl  of  Siberia 
has  proved  no  unequal  rival  to  that  of  Brazil,  and  the 
Amethysts  of  the  Bavarian  Palatinate  equal  those  found 
in  Ceylon,  or  in  the  most  favoured  spots  of  South 
America. 

It  is  not,  indeed,  the  geographical  position  which  deter¬ 
mines  the  difference  between  the  relative  values  of  the 
sites  ;  nevertheless  it  is  a  generally  acknowledged  fact 
that  in  India,  Ceylon,  and  Brazil,  larger  gems  and  a 
greater  abundance  of  them  have  been  discovered  than 
elsewhere.  Of  late  years,  however,  it  seems  doubtful 


Where  Precious  Stones  are  found.  23 

whether  Cashmere  and  Australia  will  not  prove  formid¬ 
able  rivals  to  these  time-honoured  localities. 

The  Ancients  were  wont  to  ascribe  this  pre-eminence 
to  evaporation  from  the  earth  where  Precious  Stones  are 
found — an  evaporation  obviously  more  intense  in  tropical 
countries.  It  was  accounted  for  on  the  fanciful  supposi¬ 
tion  that  the  sunburnt  tropics  were  more  favourable  to 
the  blossoms  of  the  inorganic  world,  than  the  dark  skies 
of  the  north.  _ 

But  although  Precious  Stones  are  not  limited  to  any 
defined  geographical  area,  their  distribution  is  in  a  measure 
circumscribed,  inasmuch  as  they  are  not  met  with  in  all 
mountain  ranges,  nor  in  all  geological  formations.  The 
most  valuable  are  found  in  such  ranges  as  are  considered 
the  oldest  in  the  world — in  rocks  composed  of  granite, 
gneiss,  porphyry,  and  mica-schist.  Sometimes  they  occur 
imbedded  in  the  mass  of  the  rock  ;  at  other  times,  pro¬ 
truding,  as  it  were,  from  the  surface.  When  they  are  thus 
found,  in  the  very  rocks  where  they  were  originally  formed, 
they  are  said  to  be  in  their  primitive  bed.  Many,  how¬ 
ever,  are  found  far  from  their  primal  home,  in  a  derivative 
or  secondary  bed,  in  diluvial  or  alluvial  soils,  and  in  the 
gravels  and  sands  of  river-beds.  This  last  mode  of  occur¬ 
rence  is  the  most  frequent  for  the  finer  Precious  Stones. 
Far  removed  from  their  native  home  by  the  force  of  heavy 
rains  and  rushing  torrents,  they  have  been  loosened  and 
carried  onwards,  rounded  by  friction  against  the  debris 
with  which  they  have  been  accompanied  in  their  course. 
It  is  a  strange  fact  that  all  those  stones  which  have  been 
washed  in  the  currents  are  the  finest.  Possibly  this  may 
be  explained  by  a  process  of  natural  selection  which  has 
weeded  out  the  faulty  stones,  and  left  only  those  that  by 
their  superior  hardness  could  survive  the  rough  usage  to 
which  they  have  been  subjected.  It  is  by  their  hardness 


24 


Where  Precious  Stones  are  found. 


and  density  that  they  are  not  only  preserved,  but  many 
even  retain  traces  of  their  original  crystalline  form. 

In  Ceylon,  India,  Brazil,  Australia,  California,  the 
Ural,  Siberia,  and  South  Africa — from  which  countries 
the  great  majority  of  our  Precious  Stones  are  obtained — 
they  more  usually  occur  in  these  derivative  beds  ;  and  it 
is  interesting  to  notice  how  various  kinds  of  Precious 
Stones  are  found  in  company  in  the  same  locality,  forming 
as  it  were  a  noble  society  of  Gems,  rendered  still  more 
illustrious  by  their  association  with  the  noble  metals — gold 
and  platinum. 

The  habitat,  or  native  home  of  the  Precious  Stone,  will 
be  specially  indicated  in  the  description  of  each  individual 
gem. 


CHAPTER  III. 

PRECIOUS  STONES  AND  THEIR  USES  IN  BYGONE  TIMES. 


RECIOUS  Stones  were  valued  and  preserved 
by  the  Ancients  thousands  of  years  ago.  In 
India,  where  the  most  costly  were  chiefly 
found,  this  was  especially  the  case.  Other 


Eastern  lands,  on  the  contrary,  possessed  Precious  Stones, 
and  handed  them  down  from  generation  to  generation 
without  knowing  anything  of  their  worth  or  nature,  valuing 
them  simply  for  their  transparency,  their  dazzling  beauty, 
their  hardness,  their  crystalline  forms,  all  of  which  excited 
their  wonder,  and  induced  them  to  preserve  them  as 
amulets,  or  to  use  them  as  personal  ornaments.  We 
know  that  in  the  time  of  Solomon,  the  love  of  grace  and 
luxury  induced  the  rich  to  desire  the  possession  of  Precious 
Stones,  and  even  to  seek  for  them  in  foreign  lands. 

In  Egypt,  in  ancient  times,  many  semi-precious  stones 
and  scarabaean  gems  were  worked  ;  and  we  learn  from 
the  Septuagint,  and  from  Philo,  that  the  robes  of  the 
High  Priest  were  set  with  Precious  Stones.  It  is  often 
difficult,  in  reading  an  ancient  author,  to  know  precisely 


2 6  Precious  Stones  and  their  uses  in  bygone  times . 

what  stone  he  intends  to  indicate,  and  ordinary  transla¬ 
tions  of  technical  words  are  by  no  means  to  be  trusted. 
This  remark  applies,  for  example,  to  the  names  of  the 
stones  in  the  breast-plate  of  the  Jewish  High  Priest,  as 
rendered  in  our  Authorized  Version.  The  names  the 
Hebrews  gave  to  these  stones  indicate  that  they  derived 
their  knowledge  of  them  from  the  Egyptians,  who,  in 
common  with  other  ancient  races,  knew  little  of  what  we 
understand  by  Mineralogy.  As  regards  India,  Strabo 
and  Pliny  tell  us  that  gold  and  Precious  Stones  were  used 
for  personal  adornment,  and  that  drinking  cups  were 
formed  of  precious  metals  set  with  Emeralds,  Beryls,  and 
Rubies. 

From  the  East  the  Phoenicians,  in  their  universal 
traffic,  exported  costly  stones  as  well  as  ivory,  with 
Syrian  purple  and  other  stuffs,  which  were  known  as  early 
as  the  Homeric  period.  The  songs  of  Homer  contain 
references  to  valuable  bright  stuffs  and  stones  which  served 
for  ornament,  without  mentioning  their  special  names  or 
qualities.  For  instance — “  the  witch  puts  on  her  costly 
robe  and  brilliant  earrings,”  but  their  nature  is  not  de¬ 
fined.  Eurymachus  gives  to  Penelope  an  exquisitely 
worked  necklace  of  gold,  ornamented  with  light  amber, 
bright  as  the  sun.  Eurydamas  gives  magnificent  earrings, 
such  as  must  have  been  worn  by  high-born  ladies  and 
princesses  in  Homeric  times.  The  precious  Onyx  and 
the  Sapphire  are  mentioned  by  Job,  with  the  Coral, 
Pearls,  Rubies,  and  Topaz  of  Ethiopia;  and  the  place  in 
which  some  were  found  appears  to  have  been  known  by 
that  patriarch  of  Uz  :  “  He  putteth  forth  His  hand  upon 
the  rock  :  He  cutteth  out  rivers  among  the  rocks,  and  His 
eye  seeth  every  precious  thing.” 

Six  or  seven  hundred  years  B.C.  the  Greeks  knew  of 
many  Precious  Stones,  and  the  rulers  in  Greece  and 


Precious  Stones  and  th&ir  uses  in  bygone  times.  2 *] 

neighbouring  lands  wore  ornamental  and  signet  rings 
made  with  cut  gems,  such  as  Ruby  and  Sapphire.  The 
famous  ring  of  Polycrates  (died  B.C.  522)  was  doubtless 
as  valuable  to  him  for  its  costly  stones  and  workmanship, 
as  for  any  hidden  virtue  which  it  is  said  to  have  possessed. 
Herodotus,  and  some  later  Greek  authors,  mention  Theo¬ 
doras  of  Samos,  the  first  engraver  of  stones,  as  the  maker 
of  that  ring. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  5th  century,  B.C.,  we  find 
among  the  Greeks,  a  didactic  History  of  Precious  Stones  ; 
which  indicates  that  their  knowledge  of  them  was  not 
superficial. 

Onomacritus,  a  Priest  and  Founder  of  Hellenic 
mysteries,  500  years  B.C.,  treated  of  Precious  Stones  and 
their  mysterious  power.  Commencing  with  the  bright 
transparent  crystal,  he  says,  “  Whoso  goes  into  the  Temple 
with  this  in  his  hand  may  be  quite  sure  of  having  his 
prayer  granted  ;  as  the  gods  cannot  withstand  its  power.” 
Further,  he  states,  “that  when  this  stone  is  laid  upon  dry 
wood,  so  that  the  sun’s  rays  may  shine  upon  it,  there  will 
soon  be  seen  smoke,  then  fire,  then  a  bright  flame.”  This 
flame  was  known  among  the  Ancients  as  holy  fire ,  and 
they  believed  that  no  sacrifice  was  so  acceptable  to  the 
gods  as  when  offered  through  its  agency. 

In  like  manner,  Onomacritus  sang  the  praises  and 
supernatural  power  of  the  Agate,  the  Topaz,  the  spring- 
green  Jasper,  Amber,  Chrysolite,  Coral  and  Opal.  The 
superstitions  attached  to  these  and  other  stones  were  not 
confined  to  the  Ancients.  Even  in  this  enlightened  age, 
the  Empress  Eugenie  of  France  would  not  wear  a  precious 
Opal  because  it  was  said  to  bring  ill  luck  to  the  wearer 
Queen  Victoria,  on  the  contrary,  having  no  such  super¬ 
stition,  has  presented  each  of  her  daughters,  on  their 
marriage,  with  a  parure  of  Opals  and  Diamonds. 


28  Precious  Stones  and  their  uses  in  bygone  times. 

After  the  early  Greek  period  the  knowledge  of  Precious 
Stones  advanced.  Herodotus  must  have  had  accurate 
acquaintance  with  many  of  them.  He  mentions,  besides 
the  Emerald  in  Polycrates’  ring,  signet  rings,  such  as  that 
of  Darius  ;  and  speaks  of  the  so-called  Emerald  column 
in  the  Temple  of  Hercules  at  Tyre,  which  at  night  gave 
out  a  wonderful  light.  Plato  mentions  the  Sard,  Jasper, 
and  Emerald.  The  Adamas,  Amber,  and  Loadstone  were 
not  unknown  to  him  ;  and  he  shows  some  knowledge  of 
the  origin  of  both  common  and  Precious  Stones,  and  of 
their  natural  forms. 

It  is  certain  that  Aristotle  had  a  knowledge  of  a  still 
larger  number  of  Precious  Stones,  and  that  he  was 
acquainted  with  some  of  their  special  properties.  His 
scholar,  Theophrastus,  has  left  us  a  small  work  on  this 
subject.  The  little  treatise  of  Theophrastus,  ILpi  twv 
AiOtZv,  was  written  before  the  year  300  B.C.,  and,  notwith¬ 
standing  its  brevity,  is  of  special  interest  as  being  the 
earliest  Greek  work  devoted  to  Mineralogy  which  has 
come  down  to  modern  times.  It  is  true  there  exists  a 
curious  Greek  poem  on  Precious  Stones,  A lOim,  by  the 
pseudo  Orpheus,  but  this  is  of  very  little  value  from  a 
scientific  point  of  view,  and  its  date  is  a  matter  on  which 
the  opinion  of  scholars  is  still  divided. 

But  though  we  have  no  other  early  Greek  treatises 
on  minerals,  we  find  references  to  Precious  Stones  occa¬ 
sionally  interspersed  through  the  pages  of  other  writers. 
Diodorus  mentions  the  Topaz  found  in  the  Serpent  Island 
of  the  Arabian  Sea  ;  this  is  probably  what  we  now  call 
Chrysolite.  Dionysius  Periegetes  mentions  the  clear  and 
brilliant  Diamond,  the  beautiful  Asterios  that  glitters  like 
a  star,  the  Lychnis,  with  the  colour  of  fire,  the  blue  Beryl, 
the  dull  Jasper,  the  pure  bluish  or  greenish  Topaz,  and  the 
lovely  Amethyst  with  its  soft,  purple  sheen. 


Precious  Stones  and  their  uses  in  bygone  times.  29 

In  the  time  of  Alexander  the  Great,  and  still  more  so 
in  the  time  of  the  luxurious  Diadocheus,  there  was  a  great 
increase  in  the  use  of  Precious  Stones  as  articles  of  luxury. 
They  were  not  only  used  for  signet  rings,  but  also  in 
ornamenting  many  articles  of  use  and  luxury,  particularly 
drinking  vessels  and  candelabra, 

After  the  Romans  became  possessed  of  the  treasures 
of  Asia  and  Africa,  they  probably  gained  a  much  fuller 
knowledge  of  Precious  Stones.  Pliny  must  have  been 
better  informed  than  his  predecessors  as  to  the  places 
where  gems  were  found.  From  him  also  we  gain  most  of 
our  knowledge  of  the  views  of  the  Ancients  as  to  Precious 
Stones.  During  this  period  the  luxury  of  Rome  in  respect 
to  Precious  Stones  was  enormous.  The  Emperors  adorned 
their  robes  with  jewels  of  immense  value.  Paulina,  the 
wife  of  Caligula,  covered  her  dress  entirely  with  Emeralds 
and  Pearls  of  untold  worth.  Pliny  says  “  we  drink  out  of 
a  mass  of  gems,  and  our  drinking  vessels  are  formed  of 
Emeralds.”  A  little  later  they  began  to  set  their  sacred 
pictures  in  frames  adorned  with  gems.  Constantine 
entered  Rome  in  a  chariot  of  gold,  adorned  with  Precious 
Stones  which  sent  forth  brilliant  rays  of  light,  and  in  his 
time  the  royal  crown  was  first  set  about  with  similar 
gems.  This  custom  of  ornamenting  crowns  has  been  con¬ 
tinued  to  the  present  day. 

Passing  on  to  the  Christian  Era  ;  among  writers  upon 
Precious  Stones,  Isidorus,  Bishop  of  Seville,  in  the  year 
630  A.D.,  takes  a  prominent  place.  He  classified  gems ' 
according  to  their  colour.  In  the  eleventh  century 
Marbodus,  Bishop  of  Rennes,  wrote  a  Lapidarium ,  or 
Latin  poem  on  stones,  of  which  a  Norman-French  ver¬ 
sion  is  also  known.  A  century  later  brought  forth  a 
really  scientific  treatise  by  Mohammed  Ben  Mansur — a 
work  marked  by  great  acumen,  and  evidently  the  result 


30  Precious  Stones  and  their  uses  in  bygone  times. 

of  an  extensive  acquaintance  with  the  stones  which  he 
describes.  Coming  down  to  later  times,  attention  may  be 
specially  directed  to  the  treatise  De  Ganmis  et  Lapidibus , 
written  in  1609  by  a  Dutch  physician,  Anselmus  de  Boot, 
whose  name  is  better  known  in  its  Latinised  form  of 
Boethius. 

Most  of  the  old  writers  on  Precious  Stones  occupied 
themselves  with  the  study  of  the  occult  virtues  which  they 
attributed  to  these  substances. 

The  number  of  properties  ascribed  to  Precious  Stones 
at  the  time  of  Isidorus  is  wonderful.  They  were  said 
to  have  the  power  of  conferring  health,  beauty,  riches, 
honour,  good  fortune  and  influence.  Men  and  women 
carried  them  about  their  persons,  prizing  them  as  amulets. 
They  were  thought  also  to  have  some  connection  with  the 
planets  and  seasons.  A  special  gem  was  worn  for  each 
month  :  thus — 


In  January 

...  The 

Hyacinth. 

,,  February  ... 

...  ,, 

Amethyst. 

„  March 

...  yy 

Jasper. 

„  April 

... 

...  ,, 

Sapphire. 

„  May 

...  yy 

Agate. 

„  June 

•  •  •  yy 

Emerald. 

„  July 

...  yy 

Onyx. 

„  August 

...  yy 

Carnelian. 

,,  September... 

...  yy 

Chrysolite. 

„  October 

... 

...  yy 

Beryl. 

„  November... 

•  •  •  yy 

Topaz. 

„  December  ... 

yy 

Ruby. 

The  Twelve  Apostles,  also,  were  represented  by  gems, 
called  Apostle-stones,  viz. : — 

I.— The  hard  and  solid  Jasper,  representing  the  rock  of 
the  Church,  was  the  emblem  of  Peter. 


Precious  Stones  and  their  uses  in  bygone  times.  31 

2. — The  bright-blue  Sapphire  was  emblematic  of  the 

heavenly  faith  of  Andrew. 

3.  — The  Emerald,  of  the  pure  and  gentle  John. 

4.  — The  white  Chalcedony,  of  the  loving  James. 

5.  — The  friendly  Sardonyx,  of  Philip. 

6.  — The  red  Carnelian,  of  the  martyr  Bartholomew. 

7.  — The  Chrysolite,  pure  as  sunlight,  of  Matthias. 

8.  — The  indefinite  Beryl,  of  the  doubting  Thomas. 

9.  — The  Topaz,  of  the  delicate  James  the  younger. 

10.  — The  Chrysoprase,  of  the  serene  and  trustful  Thaddeus. 

11.  — The  Amethyst,  of  Matthew  the  Apostle. 

12.  — The  pink  Hyacinth,  of  the  sweet-tempered  Simeon 

of  Cana. 

In  later  times,  an  Alphabet  was  formed  of  Precious 
and  Semi-precious  Stones,  as  exemplified  by  the  following 
table : — 


TRANSPARENT. 

OPAQUE. 

A. 

Amethyst. 

Agate. 

B. 

Beryl. 

Basalt. 

C. 

Chrysoberyl. 

Cacholong. 

D. 

Diamond. 

Diaspore. 

E. 

Emerald. 

Egyptian  Pebble. 

F. 

Felspar. 

Firestone, 

G. 

Garnet. 

Granite. 

H. 

Hyacinth. 

Heliotrope. 

I. 

Idocrase. 

Jasper. 

K. 

Kyanite. 

Krokidolite. 

L. 

Lynx-sapphire. 

Lapis-lazuli. 

M. 

Milk-opal. 

Malachite. 

N. 

Natrolite. 

Nephrite. 

0. 

Opal. 

Onyx. 

P. 

Pyrope. 

Porphyry. 

Q. 

Quartz. 

Quartz-agate, 

32  Precious  Stones  and  their  uses  in  bygone  times. 


TRANSPARENT. 

OPAQUE. 

R. 

Ruby* 

Rose-quartz. 

S. 

Sapphire. 

Sardonyx. 

T. 

Topaz. 

Turquoise. 

U. 

Uranite. 

Ultra-marine  (Lapis). 

V. 

Vesuvianite. 

Verd-antique  (Porphyry). 

w. 

Water-sapphire. 

Wood-opal. 

X. 

Xanthite. 

Xylotile. 

z. 

Zircon. 

Zurlite. 

If,  for  instance,  you  wanted  the  word  Alice  repre¬ 
sented  in  a  ring,  you  would  choose  Amethyst,  Lynx- 
sapphire,  Idocrase,  Chrysoberyl  and  Emerald ;  or  any 
other  group  of  stones  whose  initial  letters  spell  the  name. 

It  would  be  wrong  to  close  this  chapter  on  the  history 
of  Precious  Stones  in  Antiquity  without  reference  to  the 
erudite  writings  of  the  Rev.  C.  W.  King,  of  Cambridge, 
who  has  devoted  much  of  his  life  to  this  study. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  WORKING  OF  PRECIOUS  STONES. 


LTHOUGH  Professor  Ruskin,  in  an  eloquent 
lecture  delivered  at  the  London  Institution, 
advised  the  ladies  to  wear  uncut  Precious 
Stones,  it  may  be  safely  said  that  the 
eccentric  advice  of  the  learned  professor  will  never  be 
followed,  either  by  the  public  at  large,  or  by  those  connois¬ 
seurs  who  appreciate  the  true  beauty  of  a  noble  mineral. 
It  is  true  that  the  qualities  for  which  Precious  Stones  are 
most  prized,  viz.,  lustre,  transparency,  refraction,  and  dis¬ 
persion  of  light,  are  to  some  extent  visible  even  in  their 
rough  state  ;  but  in  order  to  enhance  these  advantages,  and 
render  them  more  attractive,  the  stones  must  be  subjected 
to  artistic  cleaving,  bruting,  cutting,  and  polishing. 

The  cleaving,  bruting,  cutting,  and  polishing  appertain 
to  the  art  of  the  diamond-cutter,  whose  aim  is  so  to 
manipulate  the  rough  stone,  as  to  produce  regular,  or 
symmetrical  and  smooth  surfaces,  called  facets.  The  subse¬ 
quent  cutting  of  designs  or  mottoes  in  the  polished  stone 
belongs  to  the  stone- engraver. 


C 


34 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


It  does  not  appear  that  the  Ancients  understood  the 
art  of  the  lapidary  so  well,  or,  at  any  rate,  valued  it  so 
highly  as  we  do.  They  preferred  weight  to  brilliancy, 
and  size  to  effectiveness.  They  would  have  been  horrified 
to  sacrifice  eighty  carats  of  a  stone  weighing  186  carats, 
merely  to  enhance  its  effectiveness  as  a  gem,  whereas 
to-day,  we  should  be  satisfied  with  a  stone  of  eighty-six 
carats,  if  by  losing  the  ioo  we  could  obtain  a  perfect  gem. 
Accordingly,  we  see  that  they  were  generally  content  to 
rub  down  the  angles,  polish  the  surfaces,  and  retain  to  a 
great  extent,  the  natural  shape  each  stone  possessed  when 
discovered. 

The  clasp  of  the  regal  mantle  of  Charlemagne  (in  the 
French  national  collection),  is  set  with  Diamonds  with 
their  natural  planes  of  the  octahedron  only  partially 
polished.  In  the  year  1290  there  was  formed  a  guild  of 
gem-polishers  and  cutters  in  Paris,  and  in  1373  the  art  of 
diamond  polishing  was  practised  in  Nuremberg  ;  their 
mode  of  procedure  is,  however,  unknown  to  us.  It  was 
not  till  a  subsequent  date,  that  the  famed  “table-cutters” 
of  Nuremberg  formed  themselves,  in  conjunction  with  the 
stone-engravers,  into  a  regular  guild.  One  of  their  rules 
was  that  apprentices  to  the  lapidary’s  and  engraver’s  art, 
should  be  bound  to  serve  five  or  six  years,  under  the  pre¬ 
text  of  the  great  difficulty  and  responsibility  of  their 
mystery,  before  they  might  venture  to  set  up  business  for 
themselves. 

In  1434,  Guttenberg  learnt  gem-cutting  and  polishing 
of  Andreas  Drytzehen  of  Strasbourg. 

In  the  year  1590,  a  Frenchman,  Claudius  de  la  Croix, 
went  to  Nuremberg,  and  carried  on  the  cutting  of  Rose- 

1 

garnets. 

On  Church  ornaments  of  great  antiquity  and  of  un¬ 
ascertained  periods,  Diamonds  have  been  found  having 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


35 


upper  table-like  surfaces  with  four  polished  borders,  and 
the  lower  sides  cut  as  four-sided  prisms  or  pyramids. 

In  the  inventory  of  the  jewels  of  Louis,  Duke  of 
Anjou,  exhibited  in  the  years  1360 — 1368,  the  following 
cut  Diamonds  are  mentioned.  (1)  a  Diamond,  of  a  shield 
shape,  from  a  reliquary  :  (2)  two  small  Diamonds,  from 
the  same  reliquary  with  three  flat-cut,  four-cornered  facets 
on  both  sides  :  (3 )  a  small  Diamond,  in  the  form  of  a  round 
mirror,  set  in  a  salt-cellar :  (4)  a  thick  Diamond,  with  four 
facets  :  (5)  a  Diamond,  in  the  form  of  a  lozenge  :  (6)  an 
eight-sided,  and  (7)  a  six-sided  plain  Diamond. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  15th  century,  there  are  traces 
of  the  art  of  Diamond-polishing  in  Paris,  and  there  still 
exists  in  that  capital  a  cross- way  called  La  Courarie,  where 
the  diamond-workers  lived  two  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago. 

In  1407,  diamond-cutting  made  great  strides  under 
Hermann,  an  able  artist,  The  Duke  of  Burgundy  gave  a 
magnificent  dinner  at  the  Louvre  to  the  King  of  France 
and  his  Court,  and  the  noble  guests  received  eleven  Dia¬ 
monds  set  in  gold.  These  gems  were  but  imperfectly  cut, 
yet  with  the  intention  and  desire  of  heightening  the  play 
of  light,  and  thus  rendering  the  gift  more  gratifying  to 
the  guests  they  were  intended  to  honor. 

It  was  in  Bruges,  in  1456,  that  Louis  de  Berquem 
who  had  lived  long  in  Paris,  made  known  his  discovery 
of  a  mode  of  cutting  the  Diamond  into  regular  facets. 
This  increased  the  play  of  light  considerably,  and  wrought 
so  thorough  a  revolution  in  the  jeweller’s  art,  that  his  con¬ 
temporaries  regarded  him  as  the  father  of  Diamond¬ 
polishing  and  cutting.  Just  ten  years  afterwards,  a  guild 
of  diamond-cutters  and  lapidaries  was  established  in 
Bruges. 

In  1475,  Louis  de  Berquem  made  his  first  experiment, 


3 6  The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 

with  the  object  of  obtaining  the  perfect  cut ,  on  three  rough 
Diamonds  of  extraordinary  dimensions,  sent  to  him  by 
Charles  the  Bold,  Duke  of  Burgundy.  No.  I.,  historically 
known  as  the  “  Beau  Sancy,”  was  a  thick  stone,  cut  all 
over  with  facets.  The  author  has  had  this  stone  examined 
and  many  models  :of  it  taken,  and  his  impression  is  that 
the  stone,  commonly  called  “  Beau  Sancy”  is  the  work  of 
an  Indian  lapidary. 

No  2  passed  into  the  hands  of  Pope  Sixtus  IV. 

No.  3,  a  badly  proportioned  stone,  shaped  as  a  triangle, 
was  set  in  a  ring,  which,  as  a  symbol  of  constancy,  repre¬ 
sented  two  hands  clasped.  Strange  to  say,  it  fell  into  the 
hands  of  that  most  faithless,  inconstant  of  kings,  Louis  XI. 
It  was  presented  to  him  by  the  Duke  of  Burgundy. 
Robert  de  Berquem  relates  that  his  grandfather,  Louis, 
received  from  Charles  the  Bold  3000  ducats  for  his  work. 

Of  Louis’  pupils,  many  went  to  Antwerp,  some  to 
Amsterdam,  and  others  to  Paris.  In  this  last  city  the 
Art  of  diamond  cutting  did  not  succeed,  owing  possibly 
to  want  of  encouragement  and  lack  of  raw  material.  It 
made  some  progress,  however,  under  the  powerful  influence 
of  Cardinal  Mazarin,  who  ordered  twelve  of  the  thickest 
Diamonds  of  the  French  crown  to  be  re-cut,  and  they 
received  thenceforward  the  name  of  “  the  twelve  Mazarins.” 
No  one  knows  what  ultimately  became  of  these  costly 
stones.  In  the  inventory  of  the  French  Crown  Jewels,  in 
1774,  there  is  only  one,  with  the  number  349,  to  which  the 
name  “tenth  Mazarin”  is  given.  This  was  a  four-cornered 
Brilliant,  with  somewhat  obtuse  angles,  of  pure  water, 
weighing  sixteen  carats,  and  valued  at  £2000. 

Owing  to  the  patronage  of  the  Cardinal,  and  the  taste 
for  Diamonds  (cut  Diamonds  especially)  which  prevailed 
among  the  higher  classes  in  France,  the  art  prospered  in 
the  17th  century. 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones,  37 

Towards  the  end  of  the  same  century,  Vincenzio 
Bruzzi,  of  Venice,  experimented  on  the  colored  Diamond, 
endeavouring  to  extract  the  color  and  leave  the  Diamond 
white.  This  art  is  practised  up  to  the  present  day,  but 
with  little  success,  as  the  color  always  returns  after  a 
certain  time.  De  Boot,  who  wrote  in  1609,  asserts  that 
his  patron,  the  Emperor  Rudolf  II.,  had  obtained,  by  the 
distillation  of  antimony,  a  secret  preparation  with  which 
he  was  enabled  to  remove  not  only  the  color  but  the  flaws 
of  imperfect  Diamonds. 

About  the  close  of  the  17th  century,  Paris  possessed 
seventy-five  diamond  cutters  in  full  work,  and  amongst 
them  not  a  few  very  clever  masters.  One  Jarlet,  cut  a 
Diamond  for  the  Russian  Crown  of  90  carats  weight. 
The  prospect  which  seemed  now  to  promise  great  things 
for  the  diamond  cutters  at  Paris  was  but  short-lived  ;  it 
soon  became  overclouded,  and  before  the  end  of  the  century, 
the  trade  was  well-nigh  extinct.  In  1775  there  were  only 
seven  masters  left  in  that  city,  and  these  gained  but  a 
scanty  and  precarious  living.  The  re-cutting  of  old  Dia¬ 
monds  was  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  there  were  over  3832 
carats  of  rough  stones  waiting  to  be  cut.  In  consequence 
of  the  disorders  which  closed  in  blood  at  this  memorable 
epoch,  they  had  to  be  sent  from  Paris  to  Antwerp. 

London  has  always  had  lapidaries  and  diamond- 
cutters  of  great  ability,  and  the  “  Old  English  cutting " 
(so  termed  in  the  trade),  is  looked  upon  as  the  type  of 
the  best  workmanship  ;  yet,  as  the  competition  of  skilled 
hands  in  Holland  vastly  exceeds  that  of  England,  the 
labor  is  less  expensive  and  in  more  general  demand  there 
than  here.  The  English  lapidaries  are  unrivalled  in  deal¬ 
ing  with  colored  stones,  but  in  the  case  of  Diamonds,  we 
must  give  the  palm  to  the  Dutch.  Of  late  years,  however, 
the  art  of  diamond  cutting  has  been  revived  with  much 


33 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


success.  About  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  London 
was  the  chief  centre  of  the  diamond-cutting  trade  ;  but  the 
art  was  neglected  until  some  ten  years  back,  when  the  great 
influx  of  Cape  Diamonds  led  to  its  revival.  The  work¬ 
men  were  at  first  Dutchmen,  but  they  were  gradually 
displaced  by  Englishmen ;  and  at  present  a  Diamond 
may  be  cut  in  Clerkenwell  almost  as  skilfully  as  at 
Amsterdam. 

When  Portugal  was  at  the  height  of  her  power,  a  very 
extensive  trade  in  Precious  Stones  was  carried  on  in  that 
country  by  the  Jews,  and  the  lapidaries  of  Lisbon  (mostly 
Jews),  then  carried  their  art  to  a  pinnacle  of  perfection 
never  perhaps,  surpassed  ;  many  of  the  old  Lisbon-cut 
gems  exhibiting  a  beauty  of  workmanship  that  taxes  all 
the  skill  of  our  first  lapidaries  to  rival.  But  the  lapidary 
and  merchant,  however  wealthy,  were  powerless  to  hold 
their  own  against  religious  fanaticism  and  bigotry,  and  the 
expulsion  of  the  Jews  from  Portugal  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  1 6th  century,  drove  the  lapidary  and  his  art  from 
Lisbon. 

The  exiled  gem-merchants  and  lapidaries  found  an 
ayslum  in  Holland,  carrying  their  trade  with  them,  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  Huguenots  brought  silk  weaving  to 
England.  Since  that  time  Amsterdam  has  been  one  of 
the  centres  of  the  Diamond  trade,  and  remains  to  the 
present  day  the  principal  seat  of  diamond-cutting.  It  is 
said  that  out  of  28,000  Jewish  inhabitants  of  Amsterdam, 
10,000  are  in  some  way  or  other  connected  with  this 
business.  Some  very  fine  examples  of  Dutch  diamond - 
cutting  were  recently  displayed  at  the  Diamanttentoon- 
stelling  in  the  Amsterdam  Exhibition. 

In  India  the  stones  are  very  imperfectly  cut,  often 
quite  irregularly,  and  on  one  side  only.  The  size  of  the 
stones  is  valued  there  rather  than  the  artistic  cut.  In 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


39 


workman’s  language  the  stones  cut  in  India  are  “lumpy.” 
This  was  the  fault  of  the  Koh-i-nur,  which  was  cut  so 
clumsily  by  Hortensio  Borgio,  a  Venetian,  that  it  was 
reduced  from  793  carats  to  about  186,  and  rendered  as 
dull  as  a  piece  of  rock  crystal.  It  was  afterwards  re-cut 
by  Messrs.  Coster  and  Sons,  and  reduced  to  about  106 
carats.  Not  very  commendable  judgment  was  shown  in 
its  re-cutting.  The  stone  still  retains  a  vitreous  lustre, 
and  a  few  extra  carats’  weight  are  preserved  at  the  expense 
of  its  beauty. 

Indian  stones  of  imperfect  cutting  are  called  Labora , 
and  when  sent  to  Europe  are  re-cut  and  polished. 


DIAMOND  CUTTING. 

I. — Diamond  Dust. 

The  Diamond,  the  hardest  of  all  known  bodies,  can 
only  be  manipulated  by  means  of  Diamond  in  the  form  of. 
a  fine  powder.  This  powder  is  prepared  generally  from 
bort  or  faulty  Diamonds  and  from  the  refuse  in  cleaving 
and  cutting  ,  which,  being  put  into  a  mortar  of  hardened 
steel,  is  beaten  until  it  is  fine  enough  for  use. 

2. — Cleaving  or  Splitting  Diamonds. 

The  cleaving  or  splitting  of  Diamonds  serves  a  double 
purpose  :  firstly,  that  of  removing  faulty  parts  or  spots 
from  the  stone  ;  and,  secondly,  that  of  bringing  out  the 
facets  in  rough. 

Some  Diamonds  cannot  be  brought  to  perfection  by- 
grinding,  without  much  labor,  especially  such  as  have 
very  convex  facets,  and  such  as  are  nearly  spherical.  To 
obtain  perfect  facets  in  these  would  be  endless  trouble. 
By  splitting  them,  however,  according  to  their  natural 


40 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


cleavage,  facets  in  the  rough  are  obtained  without  much 
difficulty,  and  the  pieces  broken  off  are,  as  a  rule,  quite 
capable  of  being  worked  up  as  good  stones  themselves. 
To  avail  himself  of  the  cleavage,  the  workman  must  have 
an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  structure  of  the  crystal. 
Diamonds  can  only  be  split  along  certain  definite  lines  of 
cleavage. 

3. — Cutting  and  Polishing  Diamonds. 

There  are  three  distinct  operations  in  the  cutting  of 
Diamonds,  namely,  splitting ,  cutting  and  polishing.  They 
form  distinct  branches  of  the  trade. 

a. — The  stone  is  first  given  to  the  cleaver  or  splitter , 
who  examines  it  carefully  in  order  to  ascertain  how  he  can 
develope  orbring  out  every  property  to  the  best  advantage, 
with  as  little  loss  of  weight  as  possible.  He  must  discover 
every  imperfection.  His  tool  is  a  wooden  baton,  having  at 
one  end  a  little  projecting  ferrule,  containing  cement  of 
brick-dust  and  resin.  He  makes  this  cement  soft,  by 
warming  it  at  a  small  fire  or  lamp,  lays  the  Diamond  in  it, 
allowing  the  stone  to  remain  there  until  the  whole  is 
quite  cold,  by  which  time  the  Diamond  is  firmly  em¬ 
bedded.  He  then  takes  another  Diamond  with  sharp 
edges,  and  with  it  cuts  a  mark  or  notch  in  the  one  he  is 
going  to  cleave.  This  mark  is  generally  in  the  shape  of  a 
V,  and  determines  where  the  cleavage  shall  take  place. 
This  would  be  very  difficult  for  an  unpractised  eye  and 
hand.  He  catches  every  particle  of  dust  in  a  box,  with  a 
sieve  in  it,  which  separates  the  dust  of  the  cement  from 
that  of  the  Diamond.  When  the  notch  is  made  deep 
enough  in  the  Diamond,  the  wooden  baton  is  set  upright 
in  a  block  of  lead.  With  one  hand  he  introduces  the  blunt 
edge  of  a  little  steel  blade  into  the  notch  that  he  has 
made  ;  with  the  other  hand  he  strikes  the  blade  a  quick, 
sharp  blow  with  a  steel  rod,  and  the  stone  is  split.  This  is 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


41 


always  a  serious  operation,  for  if  any  want  of  skill  were 
shown  by  the  workman,  the  stone  would  be  injured,  perhaps 
irretrievably.  The  stone,  now  that  it  is  divided,  is  taken 
out  of  the  cement,  and  the  process  is  repeated  until  the 
Diamond  has  received  the  rough  form  which  the  workman 
has  decided  upon. 

b. — The  stone  then  goes  to  the  cutter ,  who  has  similar 
instruments  for  his  work.  Instead,  however,  of  cutting 
notches  in  the  Diamond,  he  grinds  two  together  until  both 
are  quite  smooth,  and  thus  brings  out  the  facets  which  were 
roughly  produced  by  the  splitter.  He  has  to  be  very 
careful  in  grinding  the  stones  that  they  do  not  get  too  hot. 
The  process  is  very  laborious,  and  the  workman  has  to 
wear  thick  leather  gloves  to  preserve  his  hands,  From 
time  to  time  the  stones  must  be  looked  at,  and  the  powder 
brushed  from  them  with  a  fine  camel-hair  brush,  and  the 
facets  touched  with  the  tongue  to  keep  them  damp.  The 
cutter  gives  the  stone  its  definite  form.  If  it  is  thick 
enough  for  a  Brilliant,  he  forms  the  “  table  ”  first,  and  then 
successively  all  the  facets.  Everything  depends  upon  the 
cutting  of  a  Diamond  : 

1st. — Its  brilliancy. 

2nd. — The  table  should  be  perfectly  smooth,  and  with 
out  a  ripple. 

3rd. — The  concentration  of  all  the  angles  to  effect 
the  greatest  brilliancy. 

4th. — The  polishing  of  the  edges. 

The  great  home  for  Diamond  cutting  is  Amsterdam, 
but  in  order  to  diminish  the  price  of  cutting,  Germany  and 
Switzerland  have  also  been  tried — especially  the  latter, 
Switzerland  being  the  great  home  for  female  labour :  but 
the  result  has  not  been  satisfactory  as  will  be  seen  by  the 
following  statement. 

A  parcel  of  rough  stones  coming  from  the  Cape  was 


42 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


divided  into  three  portions,  one  being  sent  to  each  of  the 
above-named  countries. 

The  cost  of  labour  in  Germany  was  only  is.  6d.  below 
that  of  Amsterdam,  yet  the  stones  lost  so  much  by  the 
cutting  that  their  value  was  less  by  10^  ;  and  in  like 
manner  those  of  Switzerland,  were  20s.  lower  in  value. 

Only  highly  skilled  and  very  honest  artizans  are 
entrusted  with  the  cutting  of  large  Diamonds.  When  the 
Diamond  passes  from  the  cutter’s  hands  it  is  by  no  means 
perfect.  The  lustre  and  transparency  for  which  it  is  so 
much  valued  are  only  fully  developed  in  the  hands  of  the 
polisher. 

The  polishing  rooms  of  great  factories  in  Amsterdam, 
such  as  those  of  Mr.  Coster,  are  well  worthy  .of  a  visit. 

The  grinding  and  polishing  of  the  Diamond  are  effected 
on  flat  wheels  propelled  by  steam-power,  which  make 
about  2000  revolutions  in  a  minute.  Before  these  silently 
revolving  discs  you  will  see  men  so  intent  upon  their 
work  that  they  have  eyes  for  nothing  else  ;  for,  notwith¬ 
standing  the  machinery,  the  skill  of  the  workman  is  of 
primal  importance.  It  is  with  their  fingers  and  thumbs 
that  they  adjust  the  points,  edges  and  facets  of  the  Diamond 
with  extreme  accuracy,  keeping  them  constantly  moist  with 
Diamond  dust  and  olive  oil.  The  thumbs  being  used 
continually,  and  with  much  force,  sometimes  become 
enlarged. 


Cutting  of  Precious  Stones  Generally. 

This  embraces  the  cutting  of  all  Precious  and  Semi¬ 
precious  Stones  used  for  ornament,  except  the  Diamond. 
The  lapidary  arranges  his  work  much  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  Diamond-cutter,  but  he  uses  other  means  for  the 
cutting  and  polishing,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  stone 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones . 


43 


to  be  worked.  These  special  means  will  be  noticed  under 
each  particular  stone. 

The  Forms  of  Precious  Stones. 

The  beauty  of  a  finished  stone  depends  so  much  upon 
the  form  and  position  of  its  facets,  that  a  moderately  fine 
stone,  well  cut  and  polished,  is  of  far  greater  value  than  a 
large  one  less  artistically  worked.  It  happens  sometimes 
that  the  lapidary  receives  a  stone  of  very  unfortunate 
shape  ;  his  duty  will,  therefore,  be  to  take  all  possible  care 
to  preserve  its  size  ;  and,  hiding  its  faults,  give  it  such  a 
form  as  shall  send  it  forth  with  the  greatest  weight  and 
beauty. 

In  selecting  Precious  Stones  you  must  mentally  ask 
yourself  the  following  questions  :  Is  their  transparency 
conspicuous  ?  Are  they  like  a  dew-drop  hanging  from  a 
damask  rose  leaf,  that  is,  are  they  of  pure  water,  and  do 
they  possess  the  power  of  refraction  in  a  high  degree  ? 
Or,  are  they  transparent  and  colored  ;  and,  if  the  latter, 
have  they  a  play  of  color  ?  Lastly,  have  they  notable 
imperfections  ? 

Transparent  stones  must  not  be  too  thick  ;  for  either 
they  will  refract  light  too  strongly,  or  impede  the  light 
passing  through,  and  thus  rob  the  stone  of  its  brilliancy 
and  fire. 

In  colorless  stones,  the  width  and  thickness  which 
they  must  have  are,  as  a  rule,  determinate ;  whilst  in 
colored  ones  they  are  regulated  by  the  intensity  and 
thoroughness  of  the  color. 

The  workman  is  compelled  sometimes  to  give  the 
stone  a  form  other  than  that  intended  by  nature,  in  con¬ 
sequence  of  flaws  and  clefts,  and  in  order  to  remedy 
irregularities  in  the  stone.  This  is  most  frequently  the 
case  in  large  stones, 


44 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


Different  forms  of  cutting  receive  different  names, 
which  are  often  extended  to  the  finished  stone  itself.  For 
instance,  if  you  hear  of  a  “  Brilliant  ”  or  “  Rose  ”  you 
know  at  once  that  the  first  is  a  Diamond  with  a  table  and 
culet,  the  second  only  a  low  pyramidal  stone,  facetted 
over  the  top,  but  with  the  under  surface  quite  flat. 

i. —  The  Brilliant. 

This  is  the  most  favorable  form  for  enhancing  the 
play  of  color,  and  is  therefore  most  effective  for  all  Precious 
and  most  of  the  Semi-precious  Stones.  It  is  said  to  be 
the  crowning  invention  in  the  art  of  diamond-cutting.  It 
was  due  originally  to  Vincenzio  Peruzzi,  of  Venice  ;  which 
city  was,  in  his  time,  the  chief  seat  of  the  Diamond  trade. 

As  a  Brilliant,  the  Diamond  has  the  form  of  two 
cones  united  by  their  bases ;  the  upper  one  being  so 
truncated  as  to  give  a  large  plane  surface,  the  lower  one 
much  less  so,  in  fact  terminating  almost  in  a  point.  The 
stone  being  set  with  the  broad  plane  uppermost,  produces 
the  effect  of  great  depth  of  light,  and  its  many  facets 
increase  what  is  termed  its  play  of  light  ;  the  density  of 
the  material  naturally  intensifying  the  refractive  power, 
and  thereby  increasing  its  brilliancy.  The  plane  surface  at 
the  top  is  called  the  table  ;  the  bottom  plane  is  called  the 
culet  or  culette ;  the  junction  of  the  upper  truncated 
pyramid  with  the  lower  is  the  girdle ;  and  the  lower 
pointed  portion  is  the  pavilion.  Between  the  table  and 
the  girdle  are  thirty-two  facets,  and  below  the  girdle 
twenty-four.  These  facets  receive  their  names  from  their 
forms.  Star  facets  are  those  whose  edges  abut  on  the 
table  ;  the  others  are  generally  triangular.  According  to 
the  number  of  facets,  the  Brilliant  is  said  to  be  single, 
double,  or  Old  English  cut.  The  Brilliant  depends  greatly 
upon  the  facetting  for  its  exceeding  beauty. 


HE  PROPER  SIZES  OF  WEE  PROPORTIONED  BRILLIANTS  OF  THE  VARIOUS,  WEIGHTS. 


The  BlackLines  underneath  show  the  relative  thickness  each  Diamond  should  have 
and  the  round  dots  the  size  of  the  CuleL 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


45 


The  English  make  the  girdle  rather  sharp  ;  but  the 
Dutch  make  it  broader.  The  former  method  brings  out 
the  play  of  light  better. 

A  form,  called  the  “  Star,”  was  invented  by  M.  Caire, 
to  take  advantage  of  the  clear  portions  of  rough  Diamonds, 
which  could  not  be  otherwise  used  without  great  sacrifice 
of  material.  This  star-cut  Diamond,  as  it  is  now  worn, 
must  be  cut  with  extreme  exactitude,  avoiding  the  very 
slightest  irregularity. 

Briolettes  are  pear-shaped  or  oval  stones,  having 
neither  table,  culette,  nor  edge,  but  covered  over  equally 
with  triangular-shaped  lacets,  and  frequently  pierced 
through  in  order  that  they  may  be  worn  suspended. 

2. —  The  Rose. 

This  form  has  been  in  use  since  1520,  and  is  fanci¬ 
fully  supposed  to  resemble  an  opening  rose-bud.  It  is 
chosen  when  the  loss  to  the  stone  would  be  great  if  the 
brilliant  cut  were  selected.  The  characteristic  of  the 
“  Rose  ”  is  that  it  is  fiat  below,  and  forms  a  hemisphere 
or  low  pyramid  above,  covered  with  small  facets.  These 
facets  are  in  two  rows  :  those  in  the  upper  row  are  called 
star-facets ;  those  in  the  lower,  diagonal-faceis.  In  the 
centre  there  are  generally  six  facets  of  triangular  shape. 
A  circular  stone  is  best  for  the  Rose  ;  the  facets  are  more 
effectively  brought  out,  and  can  be  more  easily  polished 
than  in  a  flat-shaped  stone. 

Although  the  Rose  gives  out  a  strong  fire,  and  sends 
its  rays  as  far  as  a  Brilliant,  yet,  in  the  latter,  the  play  of 
light  is  more  remarkable,  because  the  stone  is  deeper  and 
the  facets  exactly  corresponding,  which  makes  the  prismatic 
colors  more  distinct. 

The  number  of  facets,  together  with  their  position, 
decides  the  name  of  the  Rose.  A  Dutch  Rose  is  constituted 


46 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


of  twenty-four  facets  ;  the  Rose  Recoupee  of  thirty-six  ; 
and  the  Brabant  Rose  of  twelve  or  even  fewer,  only  less 
raised  than  the  Dutch. 

3.  — Indian  Cut. 

This  has  an  upper  part,  lower  part,  and  girdle.  Its 
most  frequent  form  is  that  of  a  single  cut  Brilliant,  In 
consequence  of  the  small  effects  produced  by  this  form  it 
is  generally  re-cut  to  meet  European  requirements,  but 
this  is  usually  attended  with  a  very  great  loss  of  weight 
to  the  stone. 

4.  — Point  Cut. 

Stones  may  be  pointed  naturally  or  artificially.  Some 
Precious  Stones  may  either  be  cut  as  four-sided  pyramids, 
or  are  so  formed  by  polishing  the  faces  of  the  octahedron, 
and  making  them  exactly  true  and  regular.  This  style  of 
cutting  is  found  in  antique  ornaments  only,  and  was  well- 
known  to  Kentmann  in  1562. 

5. — Portrait  Stones 

consist  of  thin  plates  of  Diamond,  evenly  polished  on  both 
sides,  with  little  facets  on  the  edges.  They  serve  to  cover 
portraits  in  rings. 

6. — Step-Cut  or  Graduated  Form. 

Where  the  facets  gradually  decrease  as  they  approach 
the  table  and  culasse,  the  gem  is  designated  a  “  Step-cut.” 
The  style  is  effective,  especially  in  colored  stones,  the  light 
being  thereby  better  reflected,  and  the  play  of  color 
intensified. 

7. — Convex  Stones  or  Cabochon. 

When  a  stone  receives  one  or  two  convex  faces  with 
or  without  facets  at  the  base,  it  is  said  to  be  convex  cut,  e.g. 
Almandine  Garnet.  But  when  its  faces  are  simply  polished, 


The  Working-  of  Precious  Stones.  47 

it  is  said  to  be  cut  en  cabochon ,  as  in  the  Opal  and 
Cat’s-eye.  In  ancient  times  the  Sapphire  was  always 
so  cut,  and  although  sometimes  the  Emerald  and  Ruby 
are  now  so  treated,  the  style  is  better  adapted  for  stones 
of  inferior  value,  because  of  the  nature  of  their  defects. 

A/stone  cut  with  a  flattish  convex  surface  is  said  to  be 
tallow-topped. 

ENGRAVING. 

Engraving  Stones  is  an  art  of  unknown  antiquity  ;  it 
must  consist  of  designs  which  are  either  sunk  into,  and  so 
are  below  the  surface  of  the  material  engraved,  designated 
Intaglio ,  or  the  design  must  be  in  relief,  or  raised  above 
the  ground  or  surface,  to  which  the  term  Cameo*  applies. 
Nearly  all  kinds  of  stones  and  gems  have  been  treated  by 
one  of  these  methods,  although  for  obvious  reasons,  brittle 
gems  are  not  ordinarily  selected.  Stones,  transparent  or 
opaque,  and  of  one  or  many  colors,  spotted  or  striped, 
convex  or  even  concave,  have  been  chosen.  As  a  rule, 
however,  the  master-works  in  this  department  of  art  are 
on  beautiful  transparent  stones.  An  artist  does  not  care 
to  expend  his  time  and  talent  on  a  stone  which  does  not 
show  his  work  to  the  best  advantage,  and  at  its  full  worth. 
The  stones  preferred  by  the  Ancients  for  engraving  were 
the  Emerald,  Beryl,  Hyacinth,  Amethyst,  Topaz,  Lapis- 
Lazuli,  Opal,  and  Chrysolite ;  and  among  those  of  less 
value,  the  Carnelian,  varieties  of  Jasper,  Agate,  Onyx, 
Sardonyx,  Turquoise,  Rock  Crystal,  Green  Quartz  or  Prase, 
and  Malachite. 

There  is  a  very  beautiful  specimen  of  a  Turquoise- 
Cameo  in  the  Vienna  Collection  ;  and  an  Isis-head  of  the 


*  The  Italian  plurals  of  these  words,  namely  Intagli  and  Camei,  are 
used  by  precise  writers,  but  the  ordinary  English  plurals  Intaglios  and 
Cameos  are  more  commonly  employed. 


4$ 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


finest  workmanship,  in  Malachite,  in  the  Russian  Collection 
of  Jewels  at  St.  Petersburg. 

For  Cameos  it  is  desirable  to  select  large  stones, 
remarkable  for  beauty  of  color,  with  different  layers  ; 
although  choice  works  of  art  have  been  elaborated  on 
gems  of  one  color. 

The  more  layers  an  Onyx  or  Sardonyx  has,  and  the 
more  beautiful  the  colors,  the  more  costly  is  the  stone. 
The  best  stones  for  this  particular  work  are  those  with 
a  white  layer  on  a  dark  ground.  They  are  still  better 
where  there  is  a  third  layer  above,  as  white  with  a  reddish 
or  brownish  tinge,  which  the  artist  can  work  into  hair, 
wreaths,  or  dress.  Entirely  transparent  Stones  are  very 
rarely  used  for  Cameos. 

THE  ART  OF  STONE  ENGRAVING  IN  THE  MIDDLE 
AGES  AND  IN  MODERN  TIMES. 

Stone  engraving  seems  to  have  been  introduced  into 
the  West  by  jews  from  Alexandria.  In  the  middle  ages, 
and  even  in  later  times,  when  there  was  no  great  master 
in  the  Art  of  Engraving,  the  cut  stones  of  the  ancient 
Greeks  and  Romans  were  used  as  signet  rings.  King 
Pepin  sealed  with  the  Indian  Bacchus,  and  Charlemagne 
with  a  stone  representing  Jupiter  Serapis. 

Later  on,  signet  rings  were  engraved  with  the  king’s 
signature  ;  and  lovers  were  wont  to  exchange  at  their 
betrothal,  rings  cut  to  represent  wishes  or  allegories. 

In  the  15th  century,  when  Constantinople  fell  under 
the  dominion  of  the  Turk,  the  Greek  artists  left  their 
fatherland,  carrying  with  them  the  secret  knowledge  of 
stone  engraving  into  Italy.  The  first  fruits  of  this 
immigration  were  seen  during  the  Pontificates  of  Martin  V. 
and  Paul  II.  Lorenzo  de’  Medici  assisted  the  development 
of  the  art  by  affording  to  Giovanni  Bernardi  the  means 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


49 


of  acquiring  it  both  by  instruction  and  practice,  so  that  he 
eventually  received  the  cognomen  of  Giovanni  delle  Cor- 
nioli,  in  recognition  of  the  perfection  he  had  acquired  in 
engraving  Carnelian.  His  work  was  so  exquisite  that  it 
bore  favorable  comparison  with  the  masterpieces  of  old 
classic  times,  and  he  has  been  regarded  as  the  restorer  of 
the  art  of  Stone  Engraving  in  Italy. 

A  contemporary  of  his,  named  Dominico  de’  Camei, 
employed  himself  in  cutting  beautiful  Intaglios  as  well  as 
Cameos.  He  sculptured  on  a  pale  red  Ruby  the  likeness 
of  Ludovico,  the  Moor,  Duke  of  Milan.  Clement  Birago, 
of  Milan,  or  his  master  Trezzo,  discovered  in  1556  the  art  of 
engraving  the  Diamond.  According  to  Blum,  Ambrosius 
Caradossa  was  the  first  to  sculpture  Diamonds.  It  is 
stated  that  he  engraved  the  figure  of  a  Father  of  the 
Church,  for  Pope  Julius  II.,  in  1500. 

The  earliest  trace  of  Stone  Engraving  in  Germany  is 
found  in  Nuremberg  and  Strasburg,  in  the  15th  and  16th 
centuries. 

France,  England  and,  in  modern  times,  Rome  also, 
produced  most  excellent  artists  in  Stone  Engraving. 

Modern  artists  have  so  well  imitated  the  works  of  the 
Ancients  that  it  is  difficult  for  a  practised  eye  to  distinguish 
the  old  jewels  from  the  new,  which  are  copies  from  the 
originals.  The  Ancients  possessed  very  able  workers  in 
Stone  Engraving  ;  but  it  would  be  unjust  to  modern  artists 
to  declare  that  all  excellence  in  this  department  belongs  to 
the  antique,  as  the  originals  have  not  only  been  equalled, 
but  surpassed. 

Many  of  the  most  beautiful  of  ancient  gems  are  care¬ 
fully  preserved  in  Berlin,  Vienna,  Naples,  Florence,  in  the 
Barberini  Palace,  in  the  Museum  of  Duke  Odescalchi  in 
Rome,  and  in  St.  Petersburg  and  Copenhagen.  The  Blacas 
Collection,  in  the  British  Museum,  contains  some  of  the 

D 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


50 

most  valuable  “  Gems  ”  (engraved  stones)  in  the  world. 
Francis  I.  of  France,  made  the  first  collection  of  engraved 
stones  ;  and  the  Duke  of  Orleans’  collection  in  Paris  was  of 
world-wide  celebrity.  When  true  copies  of  these  works 
are  required,  impressions  can  be  made  of  them  in  various 
kinds  of  materials.  Plaster  of  Paris,  and  sulphur,  are  most 
frequently  employed  for  this  purpose. 

BURNING  OF  PRECIOUS  STONES. 

Precious  Stones  are  often  burnt  or  subjected  to  a  high 
temperature.  Red  heat  exercises  a  very  peculiar  influence 
upon  many  stones,  and  sometimes  modifies  or  utterly 
changes  their  color. 

The  Oriental  Carnelian  owes  its  beautiful  tint  entirely 
to  burning.  It  is  found  in  quartz  sand,  near  Baroche,  at 
the  estuary  of  the  Nerbudda,  in  the  Bombay  Presidency, 
and  is  cut  and  burnt  at  the  place  where  it  is  found. 

The  Brazilian  Topaz  derives  its  remarkable  pale-red 
color  from  burning.  The  facets  of  a  naturally  red  Topaz 
reflect  a  purple  hue.  and  by  candle-light  the  red  is  more 
deeply  tinged  with  purple  than  violet  :  while,  on  the 
contrary,  the  burnt  stone,  of  less  worth,  is  tinged  with 
violet. 

One  way  of  burning  Precious  Stones  is  to  roll  them 
up  in  a  piece  of  sponge,  and  burn  them  in  it  ;  or,  as  is 
done  with  Sapphires,  Hyacinths,  and  Amethysts,  place 
them  in  a  crucible,  with  unslaked  lime  or  iron-filings, 
and  heat  them  until  they  are  quite  clear.  Occasionally 
where  a  faulty  stone  with  dark  spots  is  burnt  with  sand 
and  iron  filings,  the  spots  are  removed  and  the  color 
equalized.  This  process  requires  great  care. 

Rubies  are  occasionally  infected  with  white  spots,  but 
these  can  be  removed  by  burning.  Crystal  also,  carefully 
burnt  in  a  crucible  with  lime,  sand,  or  charcoal,  will  come 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones.  5 1 

out  perfectly  clear.  The  discharge  of  colour  is  evidently 
due  to  the  decomposition  of  the  organic  matter,  with 
which  the  stone  was  tinted. 

DYEING  OF  PRECIOUS  STONES. 

The  possibility  of  giving  artificial  colors  to  Precious 
Stones  was  not  unknown  to  the  Romans.  Pliny  relates  : 
(1)  that  recipes  were  offered  for  sale  which  professed  to 
turn  Rock-crystals  into  Emeralds  and  other  transparent 
gems:  (2)  that  in  India  many  Precious  Stones  were 
produced  by  dyeing  Rock-crystal  :  (3)  that  the  Ethiopians 
deposited  the  pale  Carbuncle  in  vinegar  for  fourteen  days, 
when  it  was  alleged  that  it  would  shine  brilliantly  for  a 
similar  number  of  months.  Respecting  the  artificial  color¬ 
ing  of  certain  gems  of  the  Quartz  species,  Pliny  says  that 
of  certain  Agates  {Cockades')  more  were  probably  produced 
artificially  than  naturally  :  and  that  in  Arabia  the  Agate- 
nodules,  if  cooked  seven  days  and  seven  nights  in  honey, 
will,' when  prepared  by  the  artist,  present  veins,  stripes, 
and  spots,  which  increase  their  effectiveness  as  ornaments. 
The  cooking  in  honey  certainly  appears  to  have  the  effect 
of  cleansing  the  whole  stone,  and  not  its  surface  only, 
from  defacing  impurities. 

This  notion  of  honey  purifying  the  Agate  seems  to 
be  the  foundation  of  the  following  beautiful  idea:  “All 
kinds  of  Precious  Stones,  cast  into  honey,  become  more 
brilliant  thereby,  each  one  according  to  its  color,  and  all 
persons  become  more  acceptable  in  their  vocation,  when 
they  join  devotion  with  it  :  household  cares  are  thereby 
rendered  tranquil,  the  love  of  husband  and  wife  more 
sincere,  the  service  of  the  prince  more  faithful,  and  all 
kinds  of  business  more  easy  and  pleasant/— Extract  from 
the  Introduction  to  “  The  Devout  Life?  by  S.  Francis  do 
Sales.  Chap.  III.,  par.  13.  1708. 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


$2 


In  the  last  century  many  attempts  were  made  by 
means  of  metallic  solutions,  to  dye  Agate,  Chalcedony  and 
Carnelian,  both  on  the  surface  and  internally,  with  various 
colors.  In  Oberstein  and  Idar — two  neighbouring  locali¬ 
ties  near  Kreuznach,  on  the  river  Nahe,  famous  for  their 
industry  in  working  Agates — the  artists  have  been  most 
successful  in  coloring  not  only  the  surface  of  the  stones, 
but  their  inner  depths.  Both  in  polishing  and  coloring  the 
stones,  they  have  given  such  variety  and  beauty  to  their 
wares  as  considerably  to  increase  their  value  in  the  market. 
The  use  of  honey  in  the  dyeing  of  stones  was  in  early 
times  the  secret  of  a  few  Agate  merchants  at  Idar.  The 
secret  was  obtained  from  some  Romans  who  came  to  pro¬ 
cure  various  kinds  of  Onyx  from  the  stone-polishers  at 
that  place  and  at  Oberstein.  It  is  impossible  to  say 
whether  these  Romans  acquired  the  knowledge  by  reading 
Pliny,  or  received  it  as  a  tradition  in  Italy. 

This  Art  is  based  on  the  fact  that  the  fine  stripes  of 
the  Chalcedony,  in  the  Agate  Nodule,  no  matter  how 
faint  their  tints,  can  by  application  of  a  colored  fluid  be 
intensified  and  made  apparent  throughout  the  stone.  This 
led  the  stone-polishers  to  conclude  that  they  might  change 
mean  and  insignificant-looking  stones  into  beautiful  ones, 
suitable  for  Cameos  and  cognate  purposes,  and  thereby 
materially  increase  their  value. 

The  Agate  merchants  test  the  worth  of  the  raw  stone 
for  dyeing  by  striking  a  thin  piece  off  it,  damping  it  with 
the  tongue,  and  observing  whether  the  drying  of  the 
stripes  takes  place  quickly  or  slowly.  If  the  stripes 
absorb  the  moisture  quickly,  then  the  stone  is  good  for 
dyeing,  and  especially  for  Onyx-dyeing.  This  test, 
however,  cannot  always  be  relied  on,  and  the  manipulators 
are  sometimes  obliged  to  color  a  small  piece  before  buying 
the  stones. 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


53 


At  Oberstein  and  Idar  the  Onyx  is  dyed  in  the 
following  manner.  The  stone  is  twice  washed,  and  then 
dried.  It  is  next  laid  in  honey  and  water  (half-a-pound 
of  honey  to  about  sixteen  or  twenty  ounces  of  water). 
The  dish  in  which  it  is  laid  must  be  chemically  clean. 
This  is  placed  in  a  warm  oven,  and  care  must  be  taken 
that  the  water  does  not  boil,  and  that  the  stone  is  always 
covered  with  the  liquid.  This  treatment  is  continued 
from  fourteen  to  twenty- one  days.  The  stone  is  then 
taken  out  of  the  honey,  washed,  and  soaked  in  another 
dish  with  sulphuric  acid.  The  dish  is  then  covered,  and 
placed  in  hot  ashes  with  burning  charcoal  over  the  cover. 
In  a  few  hours  the  stone  will  be  dyed.  Some  stones  re¬ 
quire  a  longer  time  ;  and  some  will,  despite  all  care,  take 
no  color.  The  last  step  is  to  remove  the  stone  from  the 
sulphuric  acid,  wash  it,  dry  it  in  the  oven,  and  lay  it  in 
oil  for  a  day  :  this  imparts  to  it  an  increased  clearness 
and  brilliancy.  By  this  process  it  will  have  obtained  a 
variegated  pattern  :  for,  according  to  the  porosity  of  the 
stone,  grey,  brown,  black,  or  red  stripes  will  be  brought 
out. 

The  stone  known  as  the  “  Carnelian  of  Brazil  ”  is 
worked  in  great  quantities  in  Oberstein  and  Idar. 

The  method  of  imparting  a  blue  colour  to  Agate  was 
introduced  at  Oberstein  in  1S45.  By  steeping  the  stone 
first  in  a  solution  of  yellow  prussiate  of  potash  and  then 
in  one  of  a  ferric  salt,  a  precipitate  of  Prussian  blue  is 
formed  within  the  pores  of  the  Agate.  In  other  processes 
a  solution  of  blue  vitriol  and  ammonia  is  employed,  so 
that  an  ammoniacal  sulphate  of  copper,  of  magnificent 
colour,  thus  becomes  the  tinctorial  agent. 

Of  late,  an  exquisite  blue  dye  has  been  found  for  the 
Chalcedony,  by  which  the  varied  shades  of  the  more 
valuable  Turquoise  and  the  Lapis  lazuli  are  produced, 


54 


The  Working  of  Precious  Stones. 


and  both  the  English  and  French  markets  have  plentiful 
supplies  of  these  artificially-tinted  stones.  The  mode 
of  operating  upon  these  stones  is  known  but  to  a  few. 

A  green  colour,  resembling  that  of  Chrysoprase,  may 
be  obtained  by  impregnating  the  Agate  with  certain  salts 
of  nickel  or  of  chromium  ;  while  a  yellow  tint  is  obtained 
by  digestion  in  warm  muriatic  acid,  the  iron  in  the  stone 
being  thus  converted  into  a  chloride.  In  fact,  the  chemi¬ 
cal  resources  of  the  German  Agate-worker  now  enable 
him  to  colour  a  stone  to  almost  any  desired  tint. 


CHAPTER  V. 

PRECIOUS  STONES  AS  OBJECTS  OF  COMMERCE. 


HE  trade  in  Precious  Stones  is  much  more 
important  now  than  formerly.  Before  the 
discovery  of  America,  India  was  the  great 
emporium.  Pegu,  famous  for  its  beautiful 
gems  of  all  kinds,  received  yearly  a  very  large  sum  for  its 
exports  ;  so  also  did  Ceylon,  from  which  island  we  even 
now  obtain  a  large  portion  of  our  colored  Precious  Stones, 
especially  Sapphires,  Cats’  Eyes,  and  Rubies  of  an  inferior 
color.  During  the  dynasty  of  the  Kandy  Rulers,  the  right  of 
digging  for  Precious  Stones  was  most  jealously  guarded 
as  a  royal  prerogative,  and  the  inhabitants  of  particular 
villages,  under  the  supervision  of  hereditary  overseers, 
were  occupied  in  the  search  for  gems.  Under  the  British 
Government  this  monopoly  was  given  up,  and  traders 
needed  no  “  special  permit  ” 

A  number  of  men  are  constantly  occupied  in  this 
exciting  and  precarious  business  :  and  the  idle  and  dis¬ 
orderly  adventurers  who  visit  the  villages  are  the  cause  of 
great  immorality  among  the  inhabitants.  The  results  of 
their  labors  the)-  sell  to  the  Malays  who  come  to  Saffragam 


5 6  Precious  Stones  as  Objects  of  Commerce. 

with  cloth  and  salt,  which  they  exchange  for  Precious 
Stones.  At  the  yearly  Bhudda  Festival  in  August  there  is 
a  jewel  market  held  in  Ratnapura,  whither  those  interested 
in  jewels  flock  from  all  parts  of  Ceylon. 

The  position  of  the  people  of  Saffragam  is  so  much 
improved  of  late  years  that  they  are  able  to  retain  for 
themselves  any  stones  they  find  of  great  worth.  Now  and 
then  they  are  induced  to  exchange  them  for  Diamonds  or 
gold,  which  they  can  equally  well  conceal.  The  artificers 
who  cut  and  polish  the  stones  on  the  spot  are  generally 
Malays;  but  their  work  is  very  imperfect,  and  their  know¬ 
ledge  of  the  Art  faulty.  Stones  of  smaller  value,  such 
as  Cinnamon-stone  and  Tourmaline,  are  cut  and  polished 
by  ordinary  workmen  in  Kandy,  Matura  and  Galle. 
Artistic  and  experienced  workmen  who  cut  Sapphires, 
Cats’  Eyes  and  Rubies,  live  chiefly  in  Caltura  and 
Colombo. 

As  a  general  rule,  the  rare  gems  are  cheaper  in  Europe 
than  in  Colombo.  Precious  Stones  are  brought  from  all 
parts  of  the  world  to  London,  both  in  the  rough  and  also 
to  be  re-cut.  In  Ceylon  the  stock  is  so  uncertain,  that  the 
price  is  largely  determined  at  the  moment  by  the  rank  and 
wealth  of  the  buyers.  The  small  Malay  dealers  do  not 
buy  rare  and  fine  jewels,  knowing  quite  well  that  the  best 
and  finest  specimens  are  carefully  held  back  by  the  rich 
traders,  who  consign  them  to  England,  or  obtain  from  the 
native  princes  of  India,  who  have  an  ardent  passion  for 
gems,  such  remuneration  as  keeps  up  the  prices  of  high- 
class  jewels. 

It  is  quite  impossible  to  judge  accurately  by  the 
Customs’  Register  in  Ceylon  of  the  worth  of  the  Precious 
Stones  which  are  sent  out  of  the  island.  Only  a  small  part 
is  directly  consigned  to  England  ;  the  remainder  is  bought 
up  by  private  hands,  but,  for  the  most  part,  it  ultimately 


Precious  S tones  as  Objects  of  Commerce.  57 

finds  its  way  to  the  English  market.  It  is  calculated 
roughly,  that  the  value  of  Precious  Stones  found  in  the 
island  amounts  to  £ 20,000  yearly. 

The  Dutch  East  India  Company  formerly  received 
the  rough  stones  in  packets,  sealed  with  their  special  seal. 
These  packets  were  sold  by  auction,  without  being  opened. 
Often  from  £2000  to  ,£3000  were  paid  for  one  packet,  and 
the  buyer  was  very  rarely  wrong  in  his  purchase. 

More  than  a  hundred  years  ago  Brazil  became  a 
powerful  rival  of  India  for  Diamonds.  The  most  beautiful 
stones  were  found  in  the  nearly  inaccessible  wilds  of  Minas- 
Novas,  by  poor  mulattoes  and  negroes,  and  sold  to  the 
merchants. 

While  Brazil  belonged  to  the  Portuguese  Crown, 
Lisbon  enjoyed  the  largest  share  of  the  trade  in  Precious 
Stones.  The  trade  was  a  prerogative  of  the  Crown. 

At  the  present  day  the  remarkable  development  of 
Diamond-ruining  in  South  Africa,  has  almost  driven  the 
Brazilian  Diamond  out  of  the  market. 

In  the  trade  of  Precious  Stones,  the  colored  stones 
stand  far  behind  the  Diamond  ;  insomuch,  that  this  stone 
alone  represents  90  per  cent.,  and  the  others  altogether 
only  10  per  cent,  of  the  quantity  on  sale. 

Apart  from  the  class  to  which  the  stone  belongs,  the 
price  is  determined  by  its  beauty,  the  quality  and  play  of 
color,  brilliancy,  purity,  rarity,  the  perfection  of  the  cutting, 
and  above  all,  its  weight.  This  last  quality  increases  the 
price  considerably, as  the  most  beautiful  stones  aregenerally 
found  in  only  small  crystals. 

In  the  case  of  Semi-precious  Stones,  the  size  and  color 
are  much  considered  in  determining  the  price,  but  these 
advantages  are  not  so  important  as  the  artistic  working  of 
the  stones.  Stones  depend  mainly  upon  this  adventitious 
circumstance  for  their  actual  worth.  As  a  general  maxim 


58  Precious  Stones  as  Objects  of  Commerce. 

gems  are  valued  for  their  rarity  and  quality  ;  fashion 
occasionally  exercising  influence  in  a  greater  or  less  degree 
upon  their  market  value. 

At  the  Leipzig  Easter  Market,  some  years  ago,  Dia¬ 
monds  fell  suddenly  50  per  cent.,  owing  to  Dom  Pedro 
having  paid  the  interest  of  the  Brazilian  State-Debt  to 
England  in  Diamonds  instead  of  money,  and  thereby 
caused  a  glut  in  the  market.  In  1S36  the  price  again 
rose.  In  1848,  in  consequence  of  the  Revolution  in  France, 
it  fell  greatly.  From  that  year  until  1865  the  value  of 
Diamonds  seemed  to  have  increased  at  about  the  rate  of 
5  per  cent,  per  annum.  Then,  at  the  end  of  the  Civil 
War  in  America  it  sprang  up  suddenly  25  per  cent.  At 
the  end  of  the  Franco-German  war  of  1871  it  rose  another 
10  per  cent.,  and  during  the  next  two  years  there  was  a 
gradual  rise  amounting  to  20  per  cent.  Afterwards,  owing 
to  the  panic  in  America,  and  the  effect  of  the  discoveries  at 
the  Cape,  the  market  price  steadily  fell  ;  but  now,  with  the 
revival  of  trade,  fine  Diamonds  have  reached  a  very  high 
value. 

In  buying  Precious  Stones  much  precaution  is  re¬ 
quired.  Few  wares  are  liable  to  more  faults  and  imitations 
than  these,  and  the  faults  alone  are  sufficient  materially  to 
lessen  the  value.  In  the  rough  stones  they  are  not  easily 
observed  :  and  in  manipulated  gems  they  may  be  hidden 
by  clever  workmanship. 

Among  the  most  frequent  defects  are  :  (1)  Feathers : 
little  rents  or  fissures  in  the  inside  of  the  stone  ;  they  are 
found  in  all  kinds  of  Precious  Stones.  (2)  Clouds  :  grey, 
brown  and  white  spots,  very  like  clouds,  which  much 
increase  the  labor  of  preparing  the  gem  for  sale  ;  this, 
fault  is  mostly  found  in  Diamonds  and  pale  Rubies.  (3) 
Sand :  or  little  seed-like  bodies  within  the  stone,  of  white, 
brown  or  red  color ;  these  are  called  dust  when  very  fine 


Precious  Stones  as  Objects  of  Commerce.  59 

and  in  large  number  in  one  stone.  Absolute  perfection 
is  no  more  to  be  found  in  Diamonds  and  Precious  Stones, 
than  in  any  other  created  thing  ;  for,  however  perfect  they 
may  appear,  there  is,  as  a  rule,  some  trifling  defect. 

THE  FIRST  KNOWN  APPLICATION  OF  DIAMONDS 
FOR  ORNAMENT. 

The  adaptability  of  the  Diamond  for  personal  orna¬ 
ment  is  grounded  mainly  on  its  conspicuous  lustre  and 
beautiful  play  of  light,  properties  which  are  rendered 
prominent  by  cutting  the  stone,  so  as  to  give  it  the  greatest 
number  of  surfaces  consistent  with  its  size.  By  these 
manipulations  the  rough  stone  loses  an  amount,  even  ex¬ 
tending  to  more  than  one-half  of  its  original  weight. 

The  Syrians  seem  to  have  been  the  first  to  apply  the 
Diamond  to  personal  ornament,  although  it  was  an  article 
of  commerce  much  earlier  among  the  peoples  of  the  East. 
They  valued  it  highly,  carried  it  as  amulets,  and  attributed 
to  it  many  medical  virtues.  It  was  regarded  also  as  a 
safeguard  against  madness. 

Although  Jeremiah  (xvii.  1)  speaks  of  the  sin  of 
Judah  being  written  with  “the  point  of  a  Diamond,”  — 
Puncio  adamantinis  of  the  Vulgate — it  is  probable  that 
this  adamas  was  the  corundum,  and  not  true  Diamond. 
Ezekiel  says  of  the  Syrians  : — “  Thou  hast  been  in  Eden, 
the  Garden  of  God  ;  every  precious  stone  was  thy  covering 
the  Topaz,  and  the  Diamond,  the  Beryl,  Sardius,  the 
Onyx,  and  the  Jasper,  the  Sapphire,  the  Emerald,  and 
the  Carbuncle.  .  .  .  Thou  hast  walked  up  and  down  in 
the  midst  of  the  stones  of  fire.”  (Ez.  xxviii.  13,  14). 

The  Chaldeans,  who  were  the  most  superstitious 
people,  and  seem  to  have  initiated  the  Jews  into  their 
mysteries,  their  charms  against  evil  and  mischance,  per¬ 
verted  the  precious  stones  from  their  purpose  of  ornament 


6o 


Precious  Stones  as  Objects  of  Commerce. 


and  even  of  usefulness  into  idolatrous  amulets,  and 
fixed  on  them  superstitious  uses,  from  which  it  has  been 
found  impossible  to  dissociate  them,  even  to  the  present 
day. 

In  early  times  the  Diamond  was  worn  rough,  or 
polished  only  on  its  upper  surface.  It  was  in  this  form  that 
it  was  used  to  ornament  temples,  state  goblets,  reliquaries, 
and  crowns.  In  India  the  native  uncut  stones  are  still 
prized  under  the  name  of  Naifes. 

It  was  not  until  the  time  of  Charles  VII.  that  the 
French  ladies  began  to  adorn  themselves  with  Diamonds. 
The  well-known  Agnes  Sorrel  was  probably  a  leader  of 
this  fashion.  Under  Francis  I.  the  ladies  indulged  to  such 
an  extent  in  Diamond  ornaments  that  it  gave  rise  to  the 
saying,  that  “the  ladies  of  France  carried  mills,  forests,  and 
lands,  on  their  shoulders.”  The  Luxus  or  Sumptuary 
Laws,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  IX.  and  Henry  IV.,  were 
aimed  at  this  extravagance. 

After  the  introduction  of  the  art  of  Diamond-cutting 
by  Louis  de  Berquem,  Diamonds  were  largely  used  for 
ornament  ;  and  even  at  the  present  day  a  lady’s  dress  is 
not  considered  complete  without  them. 

The  original  cut  of  the  Diamond  was  that  of  the  table- 
form,  with  a  row  of  facets  above.  It  was  not  until  the 
year  1520  that  the  Rose-cut  was  introduced,  whilst  the 
form  of  the  Brilliant  was  not  known  until  the  reign  of 
Louis  XIII.  of  France.  It  was  Cardinal  Mazarin  in  1660 
who  first  had  the  Diamond  cut  as  a  Brilliant.  Among  the 
Diamonds  of  the  French  Crown  is  one  of  the  twelve 
Brilliants,  known  as  the  Tenth  Mazarin. 

The  Diamond,  in  consequence  of  its  supreme  hard¬ 
ness,  is  very  rarely  engraved  :  up  to  the  time  of  Pliny  it 
appears  never  to  have  been  attempted.  The  art  of  en¬ 
graving  on  Diamonds  is  said  to  have  been  invented  by  an 


Precious  Stones  ns  Objects  of  Commerce.  6 1 

Italian  named  Trezzo,  who  executed  the  arms  of  Charles 
V.  upon  a  Diamond.  His  pupil,  Clement  Birago,  engraved 
on  another  Diamond  the  portrait  of  the  Spanish  prince, 
Don  Carlos  ;  and  the  arms  of  Queen  Mary  of  England 
are  believed  to  have  been  executed  on  a  Diamond  by 
Jacobus  Thronus.  It  is  possible,  however,  that  in  some 
cases,  White  Sapphires  and  Topazes  may  have  been 
mistaken  for  Diamonds. 

Notwithstanding  this  doubt,  there  are  certain  engraved 
stones  which  are,  unquestionably  true  Diamonds.  Thus, 
the  Duke  of  Bedford  possesses  a  Diamond  with  the  head 
of  the  philosopher  Posidonius  engraved  on  it  ;  and  although 
Kluge  believes  this  to  be  an  isolated  example,  yet  there 
are  others  in  existence.  In  1877  one  was  offered  for 
sale.  It  was  a  thin  stone,  the  size  of  a  fourpenny  piece, 
engraved  with  the  head  of  an  emperor.  The  price  was 
.£1000;  but  at  such  a  sum  it  did  not  find  a  ready  pur¬ 
chaser.  This  stone  was  exhibited  in  the  Paris  Exhibition 
of  1867.  In  the  Hope  collection  there  is  a  Diamond 
engraved  with  the  head  of  Leopold  II. 


SECTION  II. 

CHAPTER  I. 

T  HE  DIAMOND. 


HE  regular  crystalline  forms  in  which  the 
Diamond  is  found  belong  to  the  Cubic  or 
Tesseral  or  Isometric  system,  and  are  gene¬ 
rally  the  octahedron  and  the  rhombic  dodeca¬ 
hedron.  One  peculiarity  of  the  crystallization  of  the 
Diamond  is  that  the  surfaces  often  are  more  or  less 
curved,  or  convex,  whilst  those  of  other  crystalline  bodies, 
with  few  exceptions,  are  flat.  Not  unfrequently  it  takes 
the  form  of  a  six-faced  octahedron,  which,  by  the  rounding 
of  the  faces,  approaches  a  small  ball  or  egg  in  shape.  In 
some  cases  the  crystals  are  curiously  “  twinned.” 

Groups  of  crystals,  dodccahedra  as  well  as  octahedra, 
are  not  rare.  There  is  a  very  fine  specimen  of  such  a 
mass  of  coalesced  octahedra  in  the  Royal  Mineral  Museum 
at  Dresden  ;  and  in  the  Vienna  Collection  there  is  a 
Diamond  which  has,  enclosed  within  itself,  another  simi¬ 
larly-crystallized  Diamond  of  a  yellow  colour.  For 


The  Diamond. 


63 


further  information  on  this  topic,  the  reader  is  referred 
to  the  chapters  on  Cape,  Australian,  Brazilian,  and 
Indian  Diamonds. 

The  surface  of  the  crystals  is  generally  smooth  ; 
sometimes,  however,  it  is  rough  and  striated,  in  which 
case  it  resembles  a  poorly  polished  glass,  and  loses  its 
lustre  and  sharp  corners.  Frequently  the  surface  ap¬ 
pears  dull,  and  as  though  covered  with  a  thin  coating  of 
gum. 

The  Diamond  is  occasionally,  though  very  rarely, 
found  compact  in  fine-grained  porous  aggregates,  of 
brownish  black  colour.  In  rare  instances  it  has  been 
found  massive  in  Brazil,  in  small  black  pebbles,  having  a 
specific  gravity  of  3'0  to  3'4.  These  pebbles,  nearly  pure 
carbon,  were  sold  on  the  spot  at  two  shillings  and  eight- 
pence  the  carat ;  they  are  now  worth  thirty  shillings  per 
carat. 

The  Diamond  has  a  perfect  cleavage,  parallel  to  the 
faces  of  the  octahedron,  which  is  its  primary  form.  The 
Diamond  cutter  avails  himself  of  his  knowledge  of  this 
natural  structure,  and  is  thereby  enabled  to  remove- 
portions  damaged  by  spots,  without  resorting  to  the 
weary  work  of  grinding.  Dr.  Wollaston,  in  the  early 
part  of  this  century,  was  one  of  the  first  to  call  attention 
to  the  advantages  offered  by  the  ready  cleavage  of  the 
Diamond.  It  is  said  that  having  purchased  of  Messrs. 
Rundle  and  Bridge  a  fine  rough  Diamond,  which  they 
considered  too  much  flawed  to  be  worth  cutting,  the  learned 
doctor  minutely  studied  the  structure  of  the  stone,  and 
having  removed  the  defective  part  by  cleavage  had  the  per¬ 
fect  portion  cut,  and  then  re-sold  it  to  Messrs.  Rundle  and 
Bridge  at  a  very  large  profit.  Long  before  Dr.  Wollaston’s 
time,  however,  there  must  have  been  many  who  were 
familiar  with  the  cleavage  of  the  Diamond.  Thus  De 


6  4 


The  Diamond. 


Boot,  writing  in  1609,  tells  us  that  he  knew  a  physician 
who  boasted  that  he  could  “  divide  a  Diamond  into  small 
scales  like  a  piece  of  talc.” 

The  fracture  of  the  Diamond  is  conchoidal,  and  here 
and  there  the  stone  is  liable  to  split  off  in  fragments. 
Notwithstanding  the  great  hardness  of  the  Diamond,  it  is 
so  brittle  that  it  can  be  reduced  to  grains  by  a  heavy 
pestle  in  a  mortar. 

In  addition  to  the  property  of  cleavage,  the  Diamond 
possesses  pre-eminently  that  of  hardness  ;  a  quality  in 
which  it  so  exceeds  other  bodies  that  it  can  penetrate 
them  all  without  being  itself  even  scratched,  and  there¬ 
fore  formerly  it  was  only  possible  to  polish  it  very  par¬ 
tially,  and  to  use  it  in  the  form  it  obtained  in  the  rough. 
In  early  times  there  existed  such  an  exaggerated  idea  of 
its  extraordinary  hardness  that  it  was  said  a  Diamond 
could  not  be  broken  by  a  hammer  on  an  anvil,  and  that 
it  was  far  easier  to  strike  the  anvil  into  the  earth  than 
break  the  Diamond.  This  will  account  for  the  Ancients 
having  no  knowledge  of  any  great  Diamonds,  as  they 
always  placed  them  upon  the  anvil  to  test  their  genuine¬ 
ness.  Through  this  ignorance  many  a  regal  gem  has 
been  shattered  and  so  lost  to  the  world.  It  was  only  the 
brittleness  of  the  stone  which  was  really  tested  by  the 
hammer,  and  not  its  hardness,  which  is  a  very  different 
quality. 

Pliny  gives  a  detailed  account  of  the  Diamond  in  his 
“Natural  History,”  xxxvii.,  15.  He  says:  “The  most 
valuable  thing  on  earth  is  the  Diamond,  known  only  to 
kings,  and  to  them  imperfectly.  ...  It  is  only  engen¬ 
dered  in  the  finest  gold . Six  different  kinds 

are  known.  Among  these  the  Indian  and  Arabian,  of 
such  indomitable,  unspeakable  hardness,  that  when  laid 
on  the  anvil  it  gives  the  blow  back  in  such  force  as  to 


The  Diamond. 


65 


shiver  the  hammer  and  anvil  to  pieces.  It  can  also  resist 
fire,  for  it  is  incapable  of  being  burnt.  .  .  .  This 

superiority  over  steel  and  fire  is  subdued  by  goat’s  blood, 
in  which  it  must  be  soaked  when  the  blood  is  fresh  and 
warm  ;  then  only  when  the  hammer  is  wielded  with  such 
force  as  to  break  both  it  and  the  anvil,  will  it  yield.  .  .  . 
Only  a  god  could  have  communicated  such  a  valuable 
secret  to  mankind.  When  at  last  it  yields  by  means  of 
the  blood,  it  falls  into  such  small  pieces  that  they  can 
scarcely  be  seen.” 

The  curious  opinions  of  the  Ancients  as  to  the  intan¬ 
gibility  of  the  Diamond  are  discussed  by  Sir  Thomas 
Browne,  in  his  famous  work  on  “  Vulgar  Errors,”  written 
in  1646.  The  doctor  is  naturally  led  to  discard  the  old 
views,  notwithstanding  the  support  which  they  had  re¬ 
ceived  from  the  early  Christian  writers,  and  to  conclude, 
on  the  evidence  of  practical  men  like  lapidaries,  that 
Diamonds  “are  so  far  from  breaking  hammers,  that  they 
submit  unto  pistillation,  and  resist  not  an  ordinary  pestle.” 

Hardness  is  the  best  test  of  the  genuineness  of  a 
Diamond.  If  a  mineral  cannot  be  scratched  or  cut  by 
Ruby  or  Sapphire,  it  can  only  be  a  Diamond.  The  officers 
of  the  “Junta  Diamantina,”  in  Brazil,  test  the  genuine¬ 
ness  of  two  rough  Diamonds  by  rubbing  them  together 
close  to  the  ear,  when,  if  they  be  real,  they  make  a  pecu¬ 
liar  creaking  or  grating  noise,  which  the  long  experience 
of  the  testers  easily  recognises. 

Optical  Properties. — Refraction. 

The  conditions  which  the  Diamond  presents  in  rela¬ 
tion  to  light  are  very  remarkable.  It  is  one  of  those 
bodies  which  refract  light  most  strongly — that  is  to  say, 
when  a  ray  of  light  enters  a  Diamond,  it  is  turned  from 
its  original  path  to  a  much  greater  extent  than  if  it  had 
entered  a  Topaz  or  a  Rock-Crystal  or  a  piece  of  glass. 

E 


66 


The  Diamond. 


Hence  the  magnifying  power  of  a  Diamond  is  much 
greater  than  that  of  glass.  It  is  said  that  if  a  Diamond 
and  a  piece  of  plate-glass  be  ground  into  lenses  of  similar 
form,  the  magnifying  power  of  the  Diamond  exceeds  that 
of  the  glass  in  the  ratio  of  8  to  3.  It  was  this  that  induced 
Mr.  A.  Pritchard  many  years  ago  to  apply  the  Diamond 
as  a  microscopic  lens  ;  but  owing  to  the  great  difficulty 
of  manipulating  it,  so  as  to  adapt  it  to  the  purpose,  its 
use  is  much  restricted. 

The  Diamond  having  been  found  as  a  crystalline 
solid  substance,  of  distinct  form,  it  was  at  once  assumed 
to  be  a  mineral  production.  Probably  the  first  philoso¬ 
pher  to  throw  doubt  on  this  conclusion  was  Sir  Isaac 
Newton.  In  his  optical  researches  he  had  established  a 
relation  between  the  refractive  power  of  a  body  and  its 
density.  The  power  of  refraction  in  each  body  is  ex¬ 
pressed  scientifically  by  a  certain  number  or  numerical 
ratio  called  the  index  of  refraction.  Now,  Newton  found 
that  the  index  of  refraction  of  Diamonds  was  much  higher 
than  he  should  have  anticipated  from  the  specific  gravity 
of  the  stone.  But  he  had  observed  that  fatty  and  resinous 
bodies — such  as  oils,  turpentine,  and  amber — possessed  in 
like  manner  a  higher  refractive  index  than  their  density 
would  suggest.  Hence  he  was  led  to  throw  out  the  bold 
conjecture  that  the  Diamond  might  be  “  an  unctuous 
body  coagulated  !  ” 

The  optical  and  other  physical  properties  of  the 
Diamond  have  led  our  great  naturalists  to  the  conclusion 
that,  although  it  is  certainly  a  non-metallic  mineral,  it  is 
probably  of  vegetable  origin — a  conclusion  of  which  the 
author,  after  a  long  and  careful  study,  has  no  doubt. 

Reflection  and  Dispersion. 

In  addition  to  its  property  of  strong  refraction,  the 
Diamond  possesses  the  power,  in  an  extraordinary  degree, 


The  Diamond. 


67 


of  reflecting  and  dispersing  the  rays  of  light,  thus  causing 
what  is  technically  termed  the  “  play  of  colors,”  observ¬ 
able  on  a  well-cut  Diamond.  The  optical  term  “  disper¬ 
sion  ”  is  applied  to  the  power  which  a  transparent 
substance  possesses  of  breaking  up  the  incident  white 
light  into  prismatic  tints,  like  those  of  the  rainbow — a 
power  which  is  enjoyed  to  an  unusual  extent  by  the 
Diamond,  and  gives  rise  to  the  splendid  flashes  of  fire 
emitted  by  a  stone  which  has  been  skilfully  cut. 

As  the  value  of  a  Diamond  depends  very  materially 
upon  this  play  of  colors,  many  methods  have  been  essayed 
from  time  to  time  fortesting  it.  Babinet  recommends  the 
following  plan,  which  he  himself  was  in  the  habit  of 
employing.  In  a  sheet  of  white  paper  he  bored  a  hole 
somewhat  larger  than  the  Diamond  to  be  tested  ;  he  let  a 
ray  of  sun-light  pass  through  the  hole,  and  holding  the 
Diamond  a  little  distance  from  it,  yet  at  such  an  angle  as 
to  allow  the  ray  to  alight  on  a  point  of  the  flat  facet,  he 
found  this  facet  to  be  forthwith  represented  on  the  paper 
as  a  white  figure,  whilst  all  around  little  rainbow  circles 
were  delineated.  If  the  observer  found  the  primary  colors, 
i.e.  red,  yellow,  and  blue,  definitely  separated  one  from  the 
other  in  these  little  circles,  and  if  their  number  were 
considerable,  and  they  stood  at  equal  distances  from  each 
other,  then  he  pronounced  the  Brilliant  to  be  well  cut. 

In  the  Rose  Diamond  the  light  is  reflected  from  the 
under-plane,  and  produces  a  similar  effect  to  that  seen  in 
the  Brilliant. 

The  Diamond  does  not  possess  the  power  of  double 
refraction,  neither  does  it  polarize  light,  as  commonly 
understood,  although,  according  to  Brewster,  there  are 
in  some  stones  certain  optical  irregularities  due  to  inter¬ 
nal  air-bubbles,  or  open  cavities.  The  author  has  one  in 
his  possession,  which  reflects  different  colors  according  to 


68 


The  Diamond. 


the  direction  in  which  the  solar  rays  light  upon  it. 
Since,  on  the  outside  of  these  air-bubbles,  light  passes 
through,  perfectly  unpolarized,  it  appears  that  the  mass 
was  originally  so  soft,  that  the  enclosed  air  could, 
by  expansion,  change  the  part  lying  nearest  to  it,  just 
as  one  is  able  to  produce  similar  results  by  pressure 
in  glass  and  resin.  Such  compression  on  the  mass 
close  to  the  air  bubbles,  Brewster  declared  to  be  no¬ 
where  found  among  minerals  produced  by  the  operation 
of  heat  ;  and  he  concluded,  therefore,  that  the  softness 
which  the  Diamond,  without  doubt,  formerly  possessed 
was  that  of  a  half-dried  gum.  This  deviation  in  refraction 
has  given  rise  to  the  erroneous  belief  that  the  Diamond 
possesses  true  double  refraction. 

Lustre  and  Color. 

The  lustre  of  the  Diamond  is  the  peculiar,  inde¬ 
scribable,  but  well-known  adamantine  lustre. 

The  surface  of  the  native  crystal  is  often  rough  with 
little  rents  and  flaws,  and  has  a  peculiar  leaden-grey  semi- 
metallic  lustre. 

The  Diamond  in  its  purest  condition,  is  colorless  and 
transparent  ;  yet  at  times  it  is  found  colored  throughout 
with  pale-yellow, ochre-yellow,  light  bottle-green, yellowish- 
green,  blackish-green,  blue,  red,  brown,  and  even  black. 
Next  to  yellow,  greenish  Diamonds  are  most  numerous  ; 
the  blue  are  very  rare.  When  the  Diamond  is  between 
brown  and  black  its  transparency  entirely  disappears,  or 
is  seen  only  at  the  angles. 

Perfectly  colorless  Diamonds  come  from  the  mines  of 
India,  Brazil,  the  Cape,  and  Australia.  Perhaps  about  one- 
fourth  of  the  crystals  which  come  into  the  market  are 
colorless  ;  one-fourth  of  “  pure  water,”  with  a  flaw  or  spot 
of  color  :  and  the  remainder  colored. 


The  Diamond. 


69 


The  colored  Diamonds  exhibit  their  lustre  and  clear¬ 
ness  best  when  they  are  cut ;  especially  the  yellow  ones, 
which,  by  candle-light,  are  very  brilliant. 

Barbot,  by  means  of  chemical  agents  and  a  high 
temperature,  is  said  to  have  succeeded  in  removing  the 
coloring  matter  from  the  rough  Diamond  ;  green,  red,  and 
yellow  stones  becoming  perfectly  colorless,  while  the  dark 
yellow,  brown,  and  black,  gave  up  very  little  of  their  color. 
It  seems  scarcely  possible  that  this  can  be  accurate,  though 
M.  Barbot  on  the  title-page  of  one  of  his  works  styled 
himself  “  Inventeur  du  procede  de  Decoloration  du  Dia- 
mant  brut.”  Curiously  enough,  De  Boot  told  us  280  years 
ago,  that  his  Imperial  patron,  Rudolf  II.,  possessed  a 
secret  which  enabled  him  to  clear  any  Diamond  of  its 
flaws  and  color. 

In  many  Diamonds  the  core  is  not  pure,  but  shows 
blackish  or  greenish  spots.  This  is  more  particularly  the 
case  in  the  green  stones.  Many  Diamonds  have  also 
“  feathers  ”  and  fissures,  which  materially  modify  the 
passage  of  light. 

Black  Diamonds  of  great  beauty  are  occasionally 
supplied  by  Borneo.  These  are  so  adamantine  that  or¬ 
dinary  Diamond-dust  makes  not  the  smallest  impression 
upon  them  ;  and  they  can  only  be  ground  or  polished  by 
using  their  own  dust  for  the  purpose. 

Phosphorescence ,  &c. 

Phosphorescence  is  produced  not  only  by  great  heat, 
but  also  by  the  action  of  light,  even  after  subsequent 
isolation.  The  Diamond  becomes  phosphorescent  under 
the  influence  of  the  sun’s  rays,  and  remains  so  for  some 
time  after  removal  from  the  sunshine,  even  when  covered 
with  cloth,  leather,  or  paper. 

This  property  is  most  striking  after  the  Diamond  has 


7  o 


The  Diamond. 


been  exposed  to  the  blue  or  more  refrangible  rays  of  the 
spectrum  ;  under  the  red  rays  it  is  much  weaker.  In  an 
experiment  of  Barbot’s,  it  is  said  the  Diamond  showed 
phosphorescence  when  he  placed  it  under  cover  of  lime- 
wood  two  millimetres  (one-twelfth  of  an  inch)  thick,  after 
it  had  been  removed  from  the  influence  of  the  sun’s  rays. 

In  Mr.  Crookes’s  remarkable  researches  on  radiant 
matter,  he  submitted  the  Diamond  and  other  minerals  to 
the  effect  of  the  molecular  discharge  in  vacuum  tubes 
connected  with  a  powerful  induction  coil.  “  Without 
exception.”  he  says,  “  the  Diamond  is  the  most  sensitive 
substance  I  have  yet  met  for  ready  and  brilliant  phos¬ 
phorescence.” 

The  Diamond  is  a  non-conductor  of  electricity : 
this  is  the  more  remarkable  as  Graphite  and  Charcoal, 
substances  absolutely  identical  with  it  chemically,  are 
very  good  conductors.  By  friction,  however,  both  in  the 
rough  and  polished  state,  it  becomes  positively  electric, 
but  loses  its  electricity  completely  in  the  course  of  half 
an  hour. 


Chemical  Composition. 

The  chemical  composition  of  the  Diamond  was  not 
demonstrated,  and  the  history  of  its  discovery  was  not 
completed,  till  about  forty-four  years  after  Sir  Isaac 
Newton’s  death  (b.  1642 — d.  1727).  Notwithstanding  the 
expressed  conviction  of  Newton  that  the  Diamond  was 
combustible,  a  great  contemporary,  the  Hon.  Robert  Boyle, 
desirous  of  putting  the  combustibility  of  the  Diamond  to 
the  test,  placed  a  Diamond  in  his  crucible,  and  there  sub¬ 
jected  it  to  an  intense  heat  without  effecting  his  purpose. 
Three  years  after  his  death  in  1691,  the  Grand  Duke 
Cosmo  III.  induced  the  Academy  of  Cimento  in  Florence, 
to  fix  a  Diamond  in  the  focus  of  a  large  burning  glass, 


The  Diamond. 


71 


when  the  experimentors  saw  it  crack,  coruscate,  and  finally 
disappear,  without  leaving  any  appreciable  ash  behind. 
In  1750,  the  Emperor  Francis  I.,  in  the  presence  of  the 
celebrated  chemist  Darzet,  in  Vienna,  subjected  Diamonds 
and  Rubies,  of  the  estimated  value  of  £ 600 ,  to  the  heat 
of  a  smelting  furnace  for  24  hours,  when  the  Diamonds 
wholly  disappeared,  but  the  Rubies  remained,  not  only 
uninjured,  but  more  lustrous  than  before. 

About  44  years  after  Newton’s  death,  men  of  note  in 
the  scientific  world  carried  on  their  experiments,  to  ascer¬ 
tain  the  exact  nature  of  the  chemical  composition  of  the 
Diamond  ;  and  in  the  laboratory  of  M.  Macquer,  on  the 
26th  July,  1771,  a  magnificent  Diamond  was  burnt  with 
the  same  result  as  that  which  the  Emperor  Francis  had 
obtained  just  twenty-one  years  previously  in  Vienna.  The 
opinion  of  Robert  Boyle,  of  the  incombustibility  of  the 
Diamond,  appears  to  have  received  the  assent  of  many 
chemists  of  high  repute,  and  the  incontestable  fact  that 
the  crystal  had  disappeared,  provoked  the  following 
questions  :  How  had  it  vanished  ?  Had  it  volatilized  ? 
Had  it  exploded  ?  No.  It  had  actually  undergone  com¬ 
bustion,  which  has  been  the  fate  of  several  hundreds  of 
small  Diamonds  burnt  under  the  author’s  care. 

It  appears  that  a  well-known  jeweller  of  Paris,  M.  le 
Blanc,  stood  forward,  and  declared  the  Diamond  to  be 
indestructible  in  the  furnace,  notwithstanding  any  heat 
applied  for  any  length  of  time.  He  stated  in  confirmation 
of  his  assertion,  that  he  had  often  subjected  Diamonds  of 
his  own  to  intense  fire,  to  rid  them  of  blemishes,  and  that 
they  had  never  suffered  the  slightest  injury  from  his  treat¬ 
ment  of  them.  Thereupon  the  two  chemists  D’Arcet  and 
Rouelle,  demanded  that  he  should  make  the  experiment 
before  them  on  the  spot.  He  accepted  the  challenge,  and 
taking  some  Diamonds,  he  enclosed  them  in  a  mass  of 


72 


The  Diamond. 


charcoal  and  lime  in  a  crucible,  and  submitted  them  to  the 
action  of  the  fire,  expressing  himself  confident  that  at  the 
end  of  the  trial  he  should  find  them  uninjured.  But  alas  ! 
he  had  sacrificed  his  Diamonds,  for  on  looking  into  the 
crucible  after  the  three  hours’  trial,  they  had  entirely 
disappeared.  His  colleagues,  however,  did  not  long  enjoy 
their  triumph,  for  M.  Maillard,  another  jeweller,  in  the 
presence  of  the  eminent  chemist,  M.  Lavoisier,  took  three 
Diamonds,  and  having  closely  packed  them  in  powdered 
charcoal ,  in  an  earthen  pipe-bowl,  submitted  them  to  the 
test  of  fire,  and  when  the  bowl  was  removed  and  cooled, 
there  lay  the  Diamonds  in  the  centre  of  the  powdered 
charcoal,  untouched  by  the  heat.  Lavoisier  was  not  con¬ 
vinced  by  the  experiment,  but  Diamonds  are  rather 
expensive  toys  to  play  with.  It,  however,  soon  occurred 
to  him  that  the  conditions  under  which  M.  Maillard’s  test 
was  conducted  might  account  for  the  difference  of  result, 
and  accordingly,  it  was  soon  discovered  that  the  immunity 
enjoyed  by  the  Diamonds  of  M.  Maillard,  was  due  to  the 
exclusion  of  the  oxygen  of  the  air  from  the  Diamond,  by 
packing  it  in  a  substanceof  the  same  nature  in  a  state  of  fine 
division,  by  which  means  all  the  oxygen  that  was  admitted 
attacked  first  the  powdered  charcoal,  with  the  carbon  of 
which  it  combined  ;  for  under  other  conditions,  subjected 
to  prolonged  and  intense  heat,  the  Diamond  will  consume 
just  as  common  charcoal  does.  Lavoisier  set  the  matter 
at  rest,  and  Sir  H.  Davy  showed  subsequently  that  the 
Diamond  was  pure  carbon,  and  contained  not  even  a  trace 
of  hydrogen. 

When  a  Diamond  is  burnt,  with  a  free  supply  of 
oxygen  or  of  atmospheric  air,  it  is  completely  converted 
into  the  gaseous  body  known  to  chemists  as  carbon- 
dioxide.  This  carbon-dioxide,  which  is  commonly  called 
carbonic-acid,  resulting  from  the  burning  of  the  Diamond, 


The  Diamond. 


73 


is  identical  with  that  which  attends  the  combustion  of 
every  fire  and  gas  burner,  or  the  decomposition  of  vege¬ 
table  bodies,  and  which  is  exhaled  in  every  breath  we 
breathe  ;  so  that  the  old  fable  may  have  a  scientific  basis 
after  all,  that  “  from  the  maiden’s  lips  fell  Diamonds.” 

The  temperature  must  be  very  high  and  somewhat 
protracted  for  the  burning  of  a  solid  Diamond.  A  much 
lower  degree  of  temperature,  however,  will  be  sufficient 
to  burn  Diamond  dust,  if  the  latter  be  spread  out  on 
a  red  hot,  thin  platinum  plate,  placed  over  a  spirit  lamp. 
Small  Diamonds  will  burn  in  a  very  short  time,  if  put 
on  a  plate  of  the  same  metal,  and  if  the  flame  of  a  spirit- 
lamp  be  directed  by  a  blow-pipe  under  the  plate.  But  the 
temperature  must  be  very  high  if  the  object  is  to  effect  the 
combustion  speedily. 

When  a  Diamond  is  subjected  to  the  sun’s  rays  in  the 
focus  of  a  burning  glass,  or  heated  in  oxygen  gas,  it  gives 
out  bright  red  sparks  while  burning.  In  order  to  see  how 
the  Diamond  suffered  during  the  process  of  combustion, 
Petzholdt  took  two  sharp-angled  pieces  of  Diamond,  and 
placed  them  before  the  oxy-hydrogen  blow-pipe.  Whilst 
subjected  to  this  fierce  heat,  he  removed  them  from  the 
flame  once  or  twice  to  watch  the  action  of  the  fire  upon 
their  form  and  substance  ;  he  thus  detected  that  the  heat 
had  first  acted  on  the  sharp  angles,  thus  rounding  the 
Diamonds  first ;  and  on  the  re-application  of  the  heat,  he 
observed  that  the  Diamonds  soon  split  up  into  pieces,  and 
lost  both  their  transparency  and  lustre.  He  could  not 
detect  any  evidence  of  melting  on  the  surface  of  the 
burning  Diamonds  ;  but  on  removing  them  from  the  fire, 
they  assumed  a  leaden-grey  color,  which  indicates  that  this 
precious  gem  loses  both  its  transparency  and  brilliancy  in 
process  of  combustion.  Lavoisier  also  noticed  that  on 
exposing  the  Diamond  to  intense  heat,  black  spots  appeared 


74 


The  Diamond. 


on  it,  then  disappeared,  and  re-appeared.  Guyton  de 
Morveau  confirmed  these  statements.  He  consumed  a 
Diamond  in  oxygen,  by  means  of  the  burning-glass.  First 
he  saw  on  that  corner  of  the  Diamond  which  was  in  the 
exact  focus  of  the  lens  a  black  point ;  then  the  Diamond 
became  black  and  carbonized.  A  moment  after,  he  saw 
clearly  a  bright  spark,  twinkling  as  it  were  on  the  dark 
ground  ;  and  when  the  light  was  intercepted,  the  Diamond 
was  red,  being  red-hot,  and  for  a  time  transparent.  A 
cloud  now  passed  over  the  sun,  and  the  Diamond  was  more 
beautifully  white  than  at  first  ;  but  as  the  sun  again  shone 
forth  in  its  full  strength,  the  surface  assumed  a  metallic 
lustre.  Up  to  this  point  the  Diamond  had  sensibly  de¬ 
creased  in  bulk,  not  being  more  than  a  fourth  of  its  original 
size  ;  of  elongated  form,  without  definite  angles,  intensely 
white,  and  beautifully  transparent.  The  experiment  was 
suspended  for  a  day  or  two.  On  its  resumption,  the  same 
phenomena  recurred,  but  in  a  more  marked  degree  ;  sub¬ 
sequently  the  Diamond  entirely  disappeared.  At  the 
conclusion  of  his  treatise,  in  which  these  experiments  are 
detailed,  he  says,  “  If  it  were  possible,  while  the  Diamond 
is  burning,  to  collect  the  black  substance  which  covers  the 
surface,  the  Diamond  would  indisputably  be  shewn  to  be 
carbon:”  that  is  to  say,  it  would  be  recognized  under  the 
more  generally  known  form  of  carbon,  viz.,  charcoal. 

Fourcroy  corroborated  Guyton  de  Morveau.  He  placed 
two  small  Diamonds  in  a  capsule,  under  a  muffle,  heated 
them,  arrested  the  burning,  suffering  the  half-consumed 
bodies  to  cool,  and  on  removing  the  muffler  he  found  them 
quite  black,  as  though  they  had  a  covering  of  soot,  which 
he  removed  by  rubbing  with  a  piece  of  paper,  on  which 
was  left  a  black  mark. 

Clark  took  an  amber-colored  Diamond,  six  times  the 
size  of  that  used  by  Guyton  de  Morveau,  and  subjected  it 


The  Diamond. 


75 


to  the  action  of  the  oxy-hydrogen  blow-pipe.  It  was 
entirely  burnt  in  a  few  minutes.  The  first  action  of  the 
flame  upon  it,  was  to  make  it  perfectly  clear  and  colorless: 
it  next  became  faint-white,  and  quite  opaque  in  appearance, 
very  like  to  ivory.  In  this  stage  its  size  and  specific  gravity 
were  both  lessened  :  next  one  of  the  angles  of  the  octa¬ 
hedron  disappeared,  and  the  surface  was  covered  with  little 
bubbles,  like  blisters.  Subsequently  all  the  angles  disap¬ 
peared,  leaving  an  elongated  ball,  with  a  strong  metallic 
lustre  ;  and  after  a  short  interval,  there  was  no  sign  of  a 
Diamond  having  been  there. 

The  brothers  Rogers  asserted  that  with  potassium 
chromate  and  sulphuric  acid  at  from  1800  to  230°  the  Dia¬ 
mond  is  oxidized  into  carbonic  acid.  Jacquelaine  and 
Despretz  used  very  powerful  galvanic  batteries,  and  found 
that  a  Diamond,  heated  in  an  atmosphere  of  carbonic  acid, 
by  means  of  the  oxy-hydrogen-gas  blow-pipe,  or  one  fed 
with  carbon  mon-oxide  and  oxygen,  gradually  disap¬ 
peared  without  any  sign  of  softening.  Gassiot  also  ex¬ 
perimented  on  the  Diamond  by  strong  galvanic  currents 
between  carbon  points,  demonstrating  that  (1)  In  burning 
the  Diamond,  uncrystallized  black  carbon  is  first  produced, 
which  at  a  very  high  temperature,  burns  off  into  carbon- 
dioxide,  the  ordinary  carbonic  acid  of  our  breath  ;  (2) 
Many  rough  Diamonds  possessing  a  metallic  lustre  become 
leaden-grey,  and  (3)  The  blackish  spots,  adhering  to  the 
surface  of  some,  may  be  got  rid  of  by  great  heat. 

Some  very  notable  experiments  on  the  action  of  heat 
upon  Diamonds,  were  made  a  few  years  ago,  by  the  late 
Gustav  Rose,  of  Berlin.  Enclosing  the  stones  in  strong- 
glass  vessels,  from  which  the  air  had  been  exhausted,  he 
subjected  them  to  the  intense  heat  of  the  voltaic  arc  pro¬ 
duced  by  Dr.  Siemen’s  powerful  dynamo  machines.  Air 
being  thus  excluded,  the  Diamonds  could  not  be  consumed, 


;6 


The  Diamond. 


but  it  was  remarkable  that  they  gradually  became  en¬ 
crusted  with  a  dark  coating  of  a  graphitic  substance 
resembling  blacklead. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful,  and  at  the  same  time,  most 
conclusive  of  experiments,  both  as  regards  the  combusti¬ 
bility  and  composition  of  the  Diamond,  may  be  performed 
as  follows : — Fill  a  Florence  flask  with  oxygen,  into  which 
pour  three  or  four  ozs.  of  lime-water,  perfectly  pellucid  and 
clear.  Through  the  stopper  of  the  flask  lead  the  two 
wires  from  a  galvanic  battery.  Join  the  wires  inside  the 
flask  by  a  coil  of  very  fine  platinum  wire,  wound  round  a 
Diamond.  Turn  on  the  current  :  the  platinum  wire  will 
glow  white  hot,  the  Diamond  will  burst  into  flame,  and 
continue  burning  after  the  current  is  broken.  The  clear 
pellucid  lime-water  will  become  turbid  and  milky,  owing 
to  the  carbonic  acid  produced  by  the  burning  Diamond 
forming,  with  the  lime-water,  carbonate  of  lime  ;  and  finally 
a  sediment  of  this  solid  white  carbonate  of  lime  will  be 
precipitated,  while  the  flask,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  expe¬ 
riment,  will  be  found  to  contain  carbonic  acid  gas. 

No  solvents,  not  even  acids,  have  the  slightest  power 
to  dissolve  or  decompose  the  Diamond  ;  in  this  it  is  dis¬ 
tinguished  from  other  Precious  Stones,  most  of  which, 
having  silica  in  their  composition,  cannot  withstand  the 
influence  of  hydric-fluoride,  or  hydro-fluoric  acid. 

THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  DIAMOND. 

All  opinions  as  to  the  origin  and  formation  of  the 
Diamond  can  be  collected  under  three  heads  :  (i)  That  it 
is  formed  immediately  from  carbon  or  carbonic  acid  by 
the  action  of  heat:  (2)  That  it  is  formed  from  the  gradual 
decomposition  of  vegetable  matter  with  or  w  ithout  heat  ; 
(3)  That  it  is  formed  from  the  decomposition  of  gaseous 
hydro-carbons. 


The  Diamond. 


77 


(1)  Leonhard  says  that  the  Diamond  is  formed  by 
sublimation  of  carbon  in  the  depths  of  the  earth  ;  Parrot 
that  it  is  produced  by  the  action  of  volcanic  heat  upon 
small  pieces  of  carbon  ;  Gobel,  that  pure  carbon  has  been 
separated  from  carbonic  acid  by  electricity  in  the  presence 
of  reducing  agents,  such  as  magnesium,  calcium,  aluminium, 
silicon  and  iron  ;  Hausmann,  that  it  is  by  the  action  of 
electricity,  especially  in  the  form  of  lightning,  upon  car¬ 
bonic  acid,  that  its  decomposition  is  effected  ;  and  he 
quotes  the  statement  of  the  Ancients,  “  that  in  those  mines 
where  the  largest  number  of  Diamonds  were  found,  were 
also  found  in  large  numbers  the  so-called  thunder- bolts.” 

(2)  Among  those  who  support  the  vegetable  origin  of 
the  Diamond,  is  Newton,  who  believed  it  to  be  a  coagu¬ 
lated  fat,  or  oily  body,  of  vegetable  origin.  Jameson  and 
Brewster,  advanced  similar  views  :  Petzholdt  also  decided 
for  the  vegetable  origin,  basing  his  conclusions  mainly  on 
the  microscopic  study  of  the  residual  ash  left  when  a 
Diamond  is  burnt ;  and  Liebig,  who  was  undoubtedly,  a 
great  authority  by  his  knowledge  of  the  decomposition  01 
organic  bodies,  says,  “  Science  affords  us  no  analogy, 
except  that  of  decomposition  and  decay,  for  the  formation 
or  origin  of  the  Diamond.  We  know  that  it  does  not  owe 
its  origin  to  fire  ;  for  a  high  temperature  and  the  presence 
of  oxygen  are  incompatible  with  it  on  account  of  its  com¬ 
bustibility  :  on  the  contrary,  there  is  undeniable  ground 
for  supposing  that  it  was  formed  in  “the  wet  way;”  and 
the  decomposition  process  alone  helps  us  in  our  attempts 
to  solve  the  mystery  of  its  origin.  What  kind  of  vegetable 
substance,  rich  in  hydro-carbons,  the  decomposition  of 
which  gave  rise  to  the  Diamond,  and  what  particular  con¬ 
ditions  had  to  be  fulfilled  in  order  to  crystallize  the  carbon, 
are  not  at  present  known  to  us  ;  but  this  much  is  certain, 
that  the  process  must  have  been  exceedingly  gradual,  and 


78 


The  Diamond. 


in  no  way  hastened  by  a  high  temperature ;  otherwise  the 
carbon  would  not  have  become  crystallized,  but  would 
have  separated  itself  as  a  black  powder.” 

Wohler  also  was  of  opinion  that  the  Diamond  did  not 
originate  in  a  high  temperature,  at  least  not  by  fusion. 

The  late  George  Wilson,  of  Edinburgh,  held  the  view 
that  the  Diamond  might  be  formed  from  anthracite  or 
steam-coal,  without  a  change  from  the  hard  state. 

Later  opinions  seem  to  incline  towards  the  theory  of 
the  Diamond  taking  its  origin  from  some  other  form 
of  the  element  carbon. 

Opposed  in  some  degree  to  both  the  above  theories, 
but  ranging  under  class  I  rather  than  class  2,  is  the  view  of 
Simler,  of  Breslau,  that  the  Diamond  is  the  result  of  the 
crystallization  of  carbon  from  a  liquid  solution.  According 
to  his  theory,  carbonic  acid  collected,  in  far  away  times,  in 
a  number  of  cavities,  and  was  liquefied  under  great  pressure; 
that  it  dissolved  some  pre-existing  form  of  carbon  ;  and 
subsequently  that  the  carbonic  acid  became  gradually 
dissipated  through  fissures  and  clefts,  and  the  crystallization 
of  the  dissolved  carbon  began.  Supposing  the  pressure 
suddenly  to  abate,  and  a  quick  evaporation  of  the  liquid 
occurred,  a  considerable  compact  mass  of  Black  Diamond 
would  be  formed,  such  as  is  known  in  commerce  as  carbo¬ 
nado,  or  carbon.  It  seems  not  improbable  that  the  rough, 
scaly,  lead-colored  rind,  coating  the  rough  Diamond,  may 
be  due  to  vaporization  thus  suddenly  induced.  Many  a 
puzzling  appearance  in  the  Diamond  can  be  explained  if 
Simler’ s  theory  be  accepted  :  the  enclosed  splinters  of 
Quartz  ;  the  occasional  feathers  ;  the  peculiar  form  of  that 
rough  Diamond  in  the  British  Museum,  which  contains  a 
moderately  large  cavity,  whence  a  small  yellow  Diamond 
projects,  as  if  it  must  have  been  ejected  in  a  liquid 
condition  ;  and  finally  there  is  that  large  Diamond  alluded 


The  Diamond. 


79 


to  by  Tavernier,  in  the  cavity  of  which  was  found  a  mass 
of  black  carbonaceous  matter,  weighing  from  eight  to  nine 
carats,  which  he  designated  vegetable  mud. 

(3)  There  has  long  been  a  lingering  suspicion  in  the 
minds  of  many  chemists  that  the  origin  of  the  Diamond 
may  be  possibly  sought  in  the  slow  decomposition  of 
certain  gaseous  hydro-carbons.  It  is  a  significant  fact 
that  the  retorts  used  in  the  distillation  of  coal-gas  are 
found  to  be  lined  inside  with  a  remarkably  dense  and 
hard  deposit  of  carbon,  not  unlike  the  natural  carbonado. 
But  perhaps  the  strongest  evidence  in  favour  of  such  a 
view  is  to  be  found  in  the  experiments  described  some 
four  or  five  years  ago  by  Mr.  J.  B.  Hannay,  of  Glasgow. 
This  experimentalist  startled  the  scientific  world  by  de¬ 
claring  that  he  had  at  last  solved  the  great  problem  of 
diamond-making.  His  researches  unquestionably  made 
a  great  stir  for  a  while  ;  two  papers  appeared  in  the 
Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society,  and  letters  in  the  news¬ 
papers  led  the  public  to  suppose  that  instead  of  digging 
for  Diamonds  in  distant  parts  of  the  world  we  should 
henceforth  get  them  from  our  laboratories  at  home  ;  but 
when  the  excitement  had  subsided  the  subject  was  allowed 
to  drop,  and  not  a  syllable  has  lately  been  heard  about  the 
artificial  Diamonds  of  the  Scottish  chemist. 

As  Mr.  Hannay’s  experiments  have  failed  to  have 
the  slightest  commercial  interest,  it  is  needless  to  do  more 
than  offer  an  outline  of  his  method.-  Paraffin  spirit  was 
submitted  to  prolonged  heating  in  company  with  one  of 
the  alkaline  metals,  notably  lithium,  and  in  the  presence  of 
bone-oil  distillate  which  contained  certain  nitrogenous 
bases,  the  action  of  which  in  facilitating  the  reduction 
of  the  carbon  from  the  paraffin  was  by  no  means  clear. 
This  strange  mixture  of  substances  was  placed  in  a 
strong  wrought  iron-tube,  having  its  ends  securely  welded 


8o 


The  Diamond. 


together.  It  was  then  subjected  for  many  hours  to  the 
heat  of  a  reverberatory  lurnace.  In  most  of  the  experi¬ 
ments  the  tubes  exploded,  tearing  the  metal  open  or  even 
shattering  the  roof  and  walls  of  the  furnace,  and  injuring 
the  assistants.  Now  and  then,  however,  a  successful 
experiment  was  made ;  and  then,  on  sawing  open  the 
iron  tube,  its  interior  was  found  to  be  incrusted  in  places 
with  a  hard  black  mass,  which  contained  embedded  frag¬ 
ments  of  a  transparent  substance  that  turned  out  to  be 
crystallised  carbon  in  a  Diamond-like  form  !  The  great 
difficulty  and  danger  of  the  experiment,  and  the  insignifi¬ 
cant  amount  of  diamantoid  carbon  obtained  even  in  the 
most  successful  attempts,  have  not  invited  any  repetition 
of  the  investigation  ;  so  that  at  the  present  time  Mr. 
Hannay’s  researches  are  only  of  scientific  interest,  and 
it  is  most  unlikely  that  they  will  ever  yield  a  single 
Diamond  worth  cutting  as  an  ornamental  stone. 

Geographical  Distribution  of  Diamonds. 

The  localities  of  the  Diamond  are  India,  Sumatra, 
Borneo,  Brazil,  and  South  Africa,  parts  of  North  America, 
the  Ural  mountains,  and  Australia.  Other  countries  have 
been  pointed  out,  but  confirmatory  evidence  of  the  truth 
of  this  assertion  is  required.  In  1833,  it  was  reported  that 
in  the  gold-sand  of  the  river  Gumel,  in  the  Algerian  pro¬ 
vince  of  Constantine,  three  Diamonds  had  been  discovered. 
The  idea  that  Algeria  was  a  land  of  Diamonds  seems  to 
have  been  at  once  entertained.  Dr.  Cuny,  an  African 
traveller,  reported  that  a  whole  camel-load  of  Diamonds 
had  come  from  West  Africa  to  Darfur  in  1859.  According 
to  Murray,  a  Diamond  was  found  in  a  brook  in  Co. 
Fermanagh,  Ireland  ;  and  Bowles  insisted  that  Diamonds 
ought  to  be  found  at  Cabo  de  Gata,  in  the  South  of  Spain, 
because  of  its  geological  formation.  Further,  Java,  Celebes, 


The  Diamond. 


81 

and  Columbia  have  all  been  pointed  out  as  producing 
Diamonds.  Sometimes  recognized  localities  are  omitted 
in  books:  thus,  Payen,  in  his  work  published  in  1849, 
gives  only  India,  Borneo,  and  Brazil,  as  localities  for 
Diamonds,  whereas  they  had  been  discovered  in  the  Urals 
twenty  years  before  he  wrote.  It  is  believed  that  the 
first  Russian  Diamonds  were  found  by  a  boy  on  June  22, 
1829,  at  the  Biszer  Gold  Washings,  of  the  Countess  Porlier, 
about  160  miles  to  the  west  of  the  town  of  Perm.  Just 
at  that  time  Humboldt  was  exploring  the  Urals,  and  his 
companions  also  found  Diamonds  at  the  above-mentioned 
locality. 

The  principal  Diamond  districts  of  the  world  will  be 
described  in  detail  in  the  following  pages. 

Diamond. 

Composition  ...  ...  ...  Pure  Carbon. 

Specific  Gravity  ....  ...  3^52  to  3  53. 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  10. 

System  of  Crystallization  ...  Isometric  or  cubical. 

Form  of  Crystal  . Octahedron,  Rhombic 

Dodecahedron,  Hexakis  octahedron,  &c. 


t 


CHAPTER  II. 

CAPE  OR  SOUTH  AFRICAN  DIAMONDS. 


S  this  book  on  Jewels  is  written,  not  for  the 
year  1780,  but  for  a  century  later,  and  in 
London,  the  greatest  emporium  and  market 
of  Gems  and  Precious  Stones  in  the  world, 
the  topographical  order  of  our  predecessors  is  purposely 
inverted.  They  would  have  commenced  with  descriptions 
of  the  Diamond  fields  of  India,  and  the  bygone  glories 
thereof.  In  this  work,  on  the  contrary,  the  description  of 
the  Diamond  fields  of  the  world  commences  with  the 
Cape ,  for  South  Africa  is  a  richer  field,  and  its  produce  is 
far  more  to  the  purpose  of  modern  history,  and  to  the 
supply  of  the  Precious  Stones,  which  form  our  wealth  of 
gems,  than  any  of  the  old  Diamond  fields  of  the  East  or 
West.  So  with  a  belief  in  the  future  of  Queensland  as 
a  Diamond  field,  the  Australian  stones  will  be  treated 
of  before  the  Indian. 

It  is  generally  supposed  that  Diamonds  were  not 
known  to  exist  in  South  Africa  until  about  fifteen  years 
ago.  This,  however,  is  quite  a  mistake.  It  is  certain 


South  African  Diamonds. 


83 


that  their  presence  in  this  region  was  known  to  the 
European  colonists  in  the  eighteenth  century.  Boyle 
observes  that  “  the  existence  of  Diamonds  ”  in  South 
Africa,  had  been  several  times  asserted  before  the  English 
conquest  of  Cape  Colony.  It  was  so  far  accredited  in  the 
middle  of  the  last  century,  that  the  words  “  Here  be  Dia¬ 
monds  ”  are  to  be  seen  inscribed  across  our  modern  terri¬ 
tory  of  Griqualand  West,  in  a  mission  map  of  1750.  Th~ 
probability  of  such  discoveries  had  also  been  pointed  out 
by  men  of  science,  the  late  Sir  Roderick  Murchison, 
amongst  others.  The  old  Dutch  residents  of  Cape  Town 
appear  to  have  been  quite  astir  about  the  matter  on  several 
occasions,  but  years  passed  on  and  the  ancient  rumours 
died  away. 

Rather  more  than  fifteen  years  ago,  it  happened  that 
a  child  of  Mr.  Jacobs,  a  Dutch  farmer  settled  at  the  Cape, 
amused  himself  by  collecting  pebbles  from  the  neigh¬ 
bourhood  of  the  farm,  near  Hopetown.  At  first  sight 
there  might  seem  nothing  remarkable  in  this  circumstance, 
for  pretty  pebbles  were  to  be  had  in  plenty  near  the 
neighbouring  river.  One  of  these  stones,  however,  was 
sufficiently  bright  to  attract  the  keen  eye  of  the  mother, 
though  she  regarded  it  simply  as  a  curious  pebble,  and 
gave  it  little  more  than  a  passing  glance.  Some  time 
afterwards  a  neighbouring  boer,  named  Schalk  van  Niekirk, 
visited  the  farm,  and,  knowing  him  to  be  curious  in  such 
matters,  Mrs.  Jacobs  called  his  attention  to  the  bright, 
transparent  stone.  So  little  heed,  however,  had  been  given 
to  the  pebble,  that  when  wanted  it  was  nowhere  to  be 
found ;  and  it  was  only  after  diligent  search  that  it  was  at 
last  discovered  outside  the  house,  justwhere  it  had  happened 
to  fall  when  the  child  had  last  used  it  as  a  plaything.  Van 
Niekirk  was  sorely  puzzled  with  the  stone,  yet  thinking 
that  it  might  possibly  have  some  value,  offered  to  buy  it 


34 


South  African  Diamonds. 


of  Mrs.  Jacobs,  The  good  woman  laughed  at  the  notion 
of  selling  so  common  a  stone,  and  at  once  gave  it  to  the 
enquiring  farmer.  Just  then  it  chanced  that  Mr.  J.  O’Reilly 
was  returning  from  a  hunting  and  trading  expedition  in 
the  interior  of  the  country,  and  to  him  Van  Niekirk 
confided  the  stone,  with  a  request  that  he  would  endeavour 
to  ascertain  its  nature  from  any  trustworthy  mineralogist 
whom  he  might  meet.  By  Mr.  O’Reilly  the  stone  was 
taken  to  the  town  of  Colesberg.  Few  people  at  this  time 
believed  that  Diamonds  occurred  in  South  Africa,  and 
when  O’Reilly  cut  his  initials  on  a  window-pane  of  the 
hotel  at  Colesberg,  it  was  supposed  that  he  was  us'ng 
simply  a  fragment  of  common  quartz  or  rock  crystal.  In¬ 
deed,  some  one  staying  at  the  hotel  threw  the  stone  into 
the  street,  playing  a  practical  joke  with  O’Reilly,  and  it 
was  only  after  prolonged  search  that  it  was  recovered. 
Mr.  O’Reilly  himself,  however,  clung  bravely  to  the  notion 
that  he  had  got  a  Diamond,  and  showed  the  stone  to 
Mr.  Lorenzo  Boyes,  the  Clerk  of  the  Peace'of  the  district. 
Mr.  Boyes  knew  that  his  friend,  Dr.  G.  W.  Atherstone,  of 
Graham’s  Town,  was  an  excellent  mineralogist  ;  and, 
anxious  to  get  his  opinion,  he  sent  the  enigmatical  stone 
through  the  post,  accompanied  by  an  explanatory  letter. 
Had  it  been  suspected  that  the  stone  was  of  any  excep¬ 
tional  value,  the  envelope  would  no  doubt  have  been 
carefully  sealed,  and  the  letter  duly  registered.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  however,  the  envelope  containing  the  stone 
was  simply  gummed,  and  despatched  as  an  ordinary  letter. 
When  it  reached  Graham’s  Town,  the  good  doctor  had 
some  little  difficulty  in  deciding  what  the  curious  pebble 
could  be ;  but  after  carefully  examining  its  physical 
characteristics,  after  testing  its  degree  of  hardness,  its 
density,  and  its  behaviour  when  subjected  to  optical  tests 
by  means  of  polarized  light,  Dr.  Atherstone  was  bold 


South  African  Diamonds. 


85 


enough  to  pronounce  it  a  genuine  Diamond!  This  was 
in  March,  1867,  and  the  Universal  Exhibition  in  Paris  was 
about  to  open  in  the  spring.  What  more  appropriate, 
the  doctor  thought,  than  to  send  this  stone  to  Paris  ? 
Here  was  the  greatest  novelty  the  Colony  could  exhibit 
- — the  first  African  Diamond  !  Semper  aliquid  novi  Africa 
affert,  “  Africa  turns  up  something  new  continually.” 
Dr.  Atherstone  accordingly  communicated  his  suggestion 
to  the  Colonial  Secretary,  the  Hon.  R.  Southey,  and  in 
consequence  of  this  suggestion  the  Diamond  was  duly 
conveyed  by  steamer  to  Cape  Town,  where  it  was  examined 
by  the  French  Consul,  M.  Heriette,  who  having  confirmed 
Doctor  Atherstone’s  judgment  and  determination  as  to  the 
stone,  forwarded  it  in  due  course  to  Paris.  There  it  stood 
during  the  whole  of  the  summer,  and  having  been  examined 
by  savants  of  all  nations,  it  was  purchased  at  the  close  of 
the  Exhibition  by  Sir  Philip  Woodhouse,  at  that  time  the 
Governor  of  the  Colony,  for  the  sum  of  .£"500.  The 
weight  of  this  Diamond  was  21  carats.  It  was  sold  to 
Garrards  by  Sir  P.  Woodhouse,  and  is  nowin  their  posses¬ 
sion  as  a  cut  Brilliant. 

Such  is  the  history  of  the  discovery  of  the  first  Cape 
Diamond ;  a  discovery,  which  being  soon  followed  by  others, 
led  to  the  developement  of  the  great  Diamond-fields  of 
South  Africa.  These  fields  are  situated  chiefiyin  the  Colony 
of  Griqualand  West,  which  was  proclaimed  British  territory 
in  1871.  The  new  colony  is  intersected  by  the  river  Vaal; 
and  it  is  in  the  Vaal  valley,  and  in  that  of  some  of  its 
tributary  streams,  such  as  the  Modder  and  the  Vet,  that 
most  of  the  Diamonds  have  been  found.  Drawing  its  head¬ 
waters  from  the  Draakensberg  or  Quathlamba  range  of 
mountains,  far  away  in  the  east,  on  the  borders  of  Natal, 
the  Vaal  river,  or  the  Ky  Gariep,  flows  in  a  sinuous  course, 
generally  in  a  westerly  direction,  until  it  joins  the  Orange 


86 


South  Africa7i  Diamonds. 


river,  or  the  Nu  Gariep.  This,  the  greatest  known  stream 
in  South  Africa,  runs  for  more  than  900  miles  in  a  westerly- 
course,  and  finally  rolls  its  burden  of  waters  into  the 
Atlantic.  The  Diamond-fields  are  situated  in  the  neigh¬ 
bourhood  of  the  Middle  Vaal,  about  60  miles  above  the 
confluence  of  the  two  streams.  But  though  the  chief 
productive  localities  are  situated  there,  Diamonds  have 
also  been  found  in  the  vally  of  the  Orange  river,  at  least 
50  miles  below  its  junction  with  the  Vaal.  In  fact  the  area 
from  which  Diamonds  have  already  been  obtained  is  of 
vast  extent.  To  the  north,  it  certainly  reaches  as  far  as 
Blomhof,  near  Pretoria,  the  capital  of  the  Transvaal  ;  and 
it  is  reported  that  Diamonds  have  been  found  at  least  a 
hundred  miles  nearer  the  sources  of  the  Vaal.  On  the 
south  side  of  the  Orange  river,  they  occur  seme  miles  to  the 
north-west  of  Hopetown.  Jagersfontein,  96  miles  south 
of  the  Vaal,  is  a  well-known  locality  ;  and  a  stone  of  70 
carats  has  been  found  at  Mamusa,  75  miles  beyond 
Jagersfontein. 

Until  the  discoveries  of  Diamonds  directed  attention 
to  this  district,  scarcely  anything  was  known  of  its  geolo¬ 
gical  characters.  Even  now  it  is  far  from  easy  to  collate 
the  scattered  notices  which  have  been  published  in  various 
journals,  and  thus  obtain  a  clear  notion  of  the  structure  of 
the  country.  Stripped,  however,  of  all  superficial  deposits, 
the  solid  framework  of  the  country  appears  to  consist  of 
rocks  belonging  to  that  great  geological  series  which, 
from  its  conspicuous  occurrence  in  the  “  karoos,”  or  vast 
plains  in  the  interior,  has  received  the  name  of  the  Karoo- 
formation.  This  formation  is  developed  to  a  vast  extent 
in  South  Africa,  occupying  indeed  by  far  the  larger 
portion  of  the  country,  and  covering  at  least  200,000  square 
miles,  whilst  its  thickness  is  estimated  at  5,000  feet.  For 
the  most  part  it  consists  of  shales  and  sandstones,  which 


South  African  Diamonds. 


87 


represent  old  deposits  of  mud  and  sand,  now  hardened  and 
altered,  but  originally  thrown  down  as  sediments  in  a  vast 
fresh-water  lake.  Africa  is  still  famous  for  its  large  sheets 
of  inland  water  ;  but  the  lakes  in  which  the  karoo  beds 
were  deposited  are  of  great  geological  antiquity,  probably 
corresponding  roughly  in  time  with  the  period  at  which 
the  New  Red  Sandstone  of  this  country  was  formed. 
Although  for  the  most  part  destitute  of  fossils,  the  karoo 
strata  are  in  places  rich  in  organic  remains,  the  most 
notable  being  the  relics  of  extinct  reptiles,  which  must 
have  lived  near  the  margin  of  the  waters  which  deposited 
the  ancient  sediment.  Some  of  these  Triassic  reptiles  were 
furnished  in  the  upper  jaw  with  a  pair  of  tusks,  not  un¬ 
like  those  of  the  walrus,  whence  they  were  called  by  the 
late  Mr.  Bain,  who  discovered  them,  Bidentals ;  and  by 
Professor  Owen,  who  scientifically  described  them,  Dicy- 
nodons.  In  addition  to  these  remains  of  extinct  animals, 
we  find  in  many  of  the  karoo-beds  numerous  vegetable 
relics,  in  some  places  in  the  form  of  fossil-wood,  while 
elsewhere  the  wood  has  been  converted  into  coal.  The 
coal  seams  of  the  karoo  series  occur  especially  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  formation,  and  notably  at  the  Stormberg.  By 
the  action  of  heat,  some  of  the  Stormberg  coal  has  been 
converted  into  anthracite  or  steam-coal,  a  variety  of  fossil- 
fuel  peculiarly  rich  in  carbon  ;  whilst  the  occurrence  of 
graphite,  or  “  black-lead,”  in  some  of  these  beds,  has 
been  regarded  as  the  result  of  further  modification  of  the 
coal.  As  graphite  is  but  an  impure  variety  of  carbon, 
whilst  we  know  that  the  Diamond  is  simply  a  pure  crystal¬ 
lized  form  of  the  same  element,  some  geologists  have 
been  tempted  to  speculate  as  to  the  possible  effects  of 
further  metamorphosis  upon  the  graphite,  and  have  thus 
dimly  seen  in  the  vegetable  fossils  of  the  karoo  formation 
the  ultimate  origin  of  the  South  African  Diamonds.  If 


88 


South  African  Diamonds. 


this  metamorphic  action  has  been  found  sufficiently  potent 
to  transmute  vegetable  matter  into  coal,  then  to  convert 
this  bituminous  coal  into  anthracite,  and  possibly  after¬ 
wards  to  transform  the  anthracite  into  graphite,  why 
should  its  potency  be  arrested  at  this  point  ?  Let  the 
same  kind  of  action  be  continued,  and  we  are  brought  to 
the  logical  conclusion  that  the  ultimate  term  of  the  series 
will  eventually  be  reached  ;  and  this  ultimate  term  is 
assuredly  represented  by  the  Diamond.  It  will  be  shown 
in  succeeding  pages  that  most  of  this  South  African 
Diamonds  occur  in  a  volcanic  breccia,  and  it  has  been  sug¬ 
gested  that  these  Diamonds  have  been  derived  from  the 
carbonaceous  matter  of  the  karoo  shales  during  the  up¬ 
ward  passage  of  the  molten  or  partially- molten  matter 
from  some  deep-seated  source.  Fascinating  as  such  a 
conclusion  unquestionably  is,  it  must  be  admitted  that  we 
are  at  present  far  too  ignorant  of  the  conditions  under 
which  Diamonds  have  been  formed,  to  regard  such  specu¬ 
lation  as  anything  but  vague  hypothesis. 

In  some  places  the  lacustrine  shales  and  sandstones 
of  the  karoo  formation  are  cut  through  by  long  dykes  or 
veins  of  various  eruptive  rocks,  known  popularly  as 
“trap  whilst  in  other  places  similar  igneous  rocks  are 
spread  out  in  sheets  which  are  intercalated  between  the 
sedimentary  strata.  It  is  in  the  neighbourhood  of  these 
old  lava-like  rocks  that  the  coal  is  locally  converted  into 
anthracite.  But  the  “  traps  ”  associated  with  the  karoo 
beds  have  other  points  of  interest  in  connection  with  our 
present  subject.  Varying  considerably  in  their  characters 
in  different  localities,  some  of  them  exhibit  a  vesicular 
texture,  and  contain  in  their  bubble-like  cavities  kernels 
of  Chalcedony,  Agate,  Jasper,  and  other  siliceous  minerals. 
By  the  disintegration  of  such  rocks,  the  hard  Agates  and 
kindred  stones  are  set  free,  and  carried  down  as  pebbles 


South  A African  Diamonds. 


89 


by  the  rivers.  Indeed  the  shingle  of  the  Orange  and  Vaal 
Rivers  has  long  been  famous  for  the  beauty  of  its  Agates 
and  other  pebbles.  In  addition,  however,  to  these  attrac¬ 
tive  Chalcedonic  pebbles,  the  shingle  contains  fragments 
of  a  great  variety  of  other  minerals  and  rocks,  of  which 
comprehensive  lists  have  been  published  by  Prof.  Rupert 
Jones.  But  among  these  constituents  of  the  alluvi;  1 
gravels,  there  is  one  mineral  of  paramount  interest,  the 
Diamond  itself.  It  was  in  the  Agate-bearing  gravels  of  the 
Vaal  and  Orange  Rivers  that  the  Diamond  washer  success¬ 
fully  established  his  “  river-diggings.” 

The  search  for  Diamonds  along  the  Vaal  River  com¬ 
menced  in  1868.  According  to  Mr.  R.  W.  Murray,  who 
possesses  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  history  of 
this  subject,  the  earliest  Diamond-searching  party  wr  s 
formed  in  Bethulie  under  Mr.  j.  B.  Robinson,  and  estal  - 
lished  themselves  near  Hebron.  Then  followed  a  party 
from  Natal,  who  set  to  work  with  intelligence- — systemati¬ 
cally  digging  the  soil  from  the  banks  of  the  Vaal,  and 
washing  it  in  a  cradle  for  Diamonds  just  as  they  might 
cradle  it  for  gold.  Another  party  from  Kafifraria  estab¬ 
lished  themselves  at  Klipdrift,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Vaal.  Klipdrift  was  afterwards  called  Barkly.  Still  later, 
another  contingent  of  fortune-hunters  were  led  to  dig 
near  a  hill  named  Pniel,  and  thus  founded  the  famous 
Pniel  workings.  Although  the  importance  of  the  river- 
diggings  has  long  since  declined,  they  will  always  be  of 
great  interest  from  the  fact  that  they  represent  the  earliest 
workings  in  the  South-African  Diamond-districts. 

How  the  Diamonds  got  into  the  river  gravels  is  a 
moot  point,  which  has  puzzled  many  a  geologist.  The 
rounded  character  of  the  pebbles,  and  the  frequent  pre¬ 
sence  of  fragments  of  fossil  wood,  much  rolled  and  water- 
worn,  seem  to  indicate  that  the  materials  of  the  gravels 


90 


South  African  Diamonds. 


must  have  travelled  from  a  great  distance.  Zones  of 
similar  fossil  wood  are  known  to  occur  in  the  karoo  beds 
of  the  Stormberg  and  the  Draakensberg  ;  and  it  has  been 
suggested  that  the  materials  of  the  Vaal  gravels  have 
been  brought  down  from  the  head  waters  of  the  river. 
From  the  appearance  of  many  of  the  Diamonds,  and  from 
the  large  proportion  of  broken  gems,  it  has  been  argued 
that  they  must  have  travelled  from  afar,  and  the  eyes  of 
some  geologists  have  been  turned  towards  the  distant 
hills  of  the  Draakensberg  as  the  possible  home  of  many 
of  these  gems.  It  seems  equally  probable,  however,  that 
the  Diamonds  may  nave  been  introduced  into  the  gravels 
at  some  other  part  of  the  course  of  the  river.  In  fact, 
the  late  Mr.  Tobin,  the  pioneer  cf  the  author’s  Diamond 
Expedition  Party,  in  1870,  has  shown  that  the  source  of 
the  Vaal  is  in  sandstone,  and  that  the  Agate  pebbles  are 
not  to  be  found  in  the  stream  until  after  it  has  traversed 
a  distance  of  several  miles. 

It  was  soon  found  that  the  Diamond-bearing  gravels 
are  not  confined  to  the  present  bed  of  the  river.  Terraces 
of  similar  gravels  run  along  the  margins  of  the  river,  at  a 
considerable  elevation,  and  many  of  the  larger  Diamonds 
have  been  found  in  these  old  high-level  gravels.  Such 
gravels  unquestionably  owe  their  origin  to  the  former 
action  of  the  river,  when  it  flowed  at  a  much  higher  level. 
Running  water  in  the  form  of  rain  and  rivers  has  indeed 
effected  a  vast  amount  of  denudation  in  the  valleys  of 
these  South- African  rivers  ;  and  in  some  places  the  karoo- 
beds  have  been  completely  worn  away,  and  the  under- 
lying  older  rocks  laid  bare. 

In  addition  to  the  deposits  along  the  margins  of  the 
river  valleys,  there  are  superficial  accumulations  of  gravel, 
sand,  and  clay  widely  spread  over  a  vast  area  of  the 
country.  Diamonds  have  been  obtained  from  these 


South  African  Diamonds. 


91 


deposits,  at  localities  many  miles  distant  from  any  river. 
It  was  suggested  by  the  late  Mr.  Stow  that  such  deposits 
of  “  drift,”  or  unstratified  materials,  owe  their  origin  to 
the  action  of  ice  ;  and  in  support  of  such  an  explanation, 
he  pointed  to  the  fact  that  the  drift  contains  irregular 
accumulations  of  boulders,  many  of  which  are  smoothed 
and  polished,  while  a  few  are  even  scored  and  scratched, 
just  as  we  know  to  be  the  case  with  fragments  of  rock 
which  have  been  subjected  to  the  grinding  action  of  a 
glacier.  Mr.  Stow’s  opinion  as  to  the  glacial  origin  of 
this  drift  has  been  endorsed  by  several  other  geological 
observers.  It,  therefore,  seems  not  unlikely  that  a  large 
proportion  of  the  South  African  Diamonds,  whatever 
their  ultimate  origin  may  have  been,  have  at  some  period 
of  their  history  been  subjected  to  glacial  conditions,  and 
possibly  brought  into  their  present  position  by  the  agency 
of  moving  ice.  This  conclusion,  however,  in  no  way 
affects  our  former  statement  that  the  river-gravels — 
deposits  distinct  from  those  to  which  we  are  now  referring 
—were  formed  by  the  action  of  running  water. 

The  wide-spread  accumulations  of  drift  conceal  the 
surface  of  the  country  over  which  they  are  spread,  rising 
up  the  sides  and  covering  the  summits  of  the  little  hills 
which  formed  so  marked  a  feature  in  the  scenery  of  the 
Diamond  districts.  These  hillocks,  which  in  some  cases 
attain  to  a  height  of  upwards  of  ioo  feet,  are  known 
locally  as  kopjes ,  and  many  of  them  have  become  famous 
for  their  yield  of  Diamonds.  A  celebrated  group  of  dry 
diggings  is  that  around  Du  Toit’s  Pan,  De  Beer’s,  and 
Bultfontein,  situated  about  twenty  miles  south-east  of 
Pniel. 

The  origin  of  these  diggings  may  interest  the  reader. 
A  Dutch  Boer,  named  Van  Wyk,  who  occupied  a  farm¬ 
house  in  this  locality,  was  surprised  to  find  Diamonds 


92 


South  African  Diamonds. 


actually  imbedded  in  the  walls  of  his  house,  which  had 
been  built  of  mud  from  a  neighbouring  pond.  This  led 
to  examination  of  the  surrounding  soil,  wherein  Diamonds 
were  found.  On  deepening  the  digging,  Diamonds  were 
still  brought  to  light  ;  nor  did  they  cease  when  the  bed¬ 
rock  was  at  length  reached.  Such  was  the  origin  of  the 
now  famous  Du  Toit’s  Pan.  One  of  the  earliest  men  in 
the  Diamond  Fields  was  named  De  Beer.  The  De  Beers 
held  very  nearly  the  whole  of  the  country  which  is  now 
known  as  the  Diamond  Fields  (Proper).  Voruitzigt  was 
at  that  time  the  property  of  Mr.  De  Beer.  Bultfontein 
originally  belonged  to  Mr.  Du  Plooy. 

The  “  Pans”  are  local  depressions  in  the  flats — basin¬ 
like  hollows — frequently  of  large  size,  reaching  in  some 
cases  to  a  length  of  two  or  three  miles.  They  receive  the 
drainage  of  the  surrounding  district,  but  having  no  outlet, 
the  water  as  it  evaporates  acquires  a  brackish  taste,  and 
in  dry  seasons  the  pans  exhibit  a  whitish  saline  incrusta¬ 
tion  of  n  itron. 

All  the  dry  diggings  appear  to  possess  certain  fea¬ 
tures  in  common.  Each  site  is  a  more  or  less  circular 
area,  generally  surrounded  by  horizontal  shales,  the  edges 
of  which  are  slightly  turned  upwards  round  the  margin 
of  the  circle.  This  evidently  suggests  that  the  shales, 
which  were  originally  horizontal,  have  been  pushed  aside 
by  the  intrusion  of  matter  forced  from  below.  Indeed,  most 
geologists  now  maintain  that  the  Diamond-bearing  rock  is 
of  eruptive  origin,  and  has  passed  upwards  in  the  form 
of  colunrnar  pipes  thrust  through  the  surrounding  shales. 
Thus,  Mr.  Dunn  regards  the  pipes  as  “  merely  the  channels 
that  connected  ancient  volcanic  craters  with  deep-seated 
reservoirs  of  molten  rock.”  On  the  other  hand,  there  have 
not  been  wanting  observers  who  take  an  entirely  opposite 
view  of  the  origin  of  the  deep  deposits  in  the  dry  diggings. 


South  African  Diamonds. 


93 


The  upper  portion  of  a  pipe  generally  consists  of  a 
reddish,  sandy  soil,  accumulated  no  doubt  by  the  action 
of  wind.  Below  this  comes  a  layer  of  calcareous  tufa,  or 
a  light  deposit  of  carbonate  of  lime  ( calcium,  carbonate )  ; 
and  it  is  by  no  means  uncommon  to  find  Diamonds 
adherent  to  this  tufaceous  rock.  At  a  still  lower  depth, 
we  reach  the  main  contents  of  the  pipe.  This  consists 
of  a  modified  rock  ;  in  places  much  broken  up,  and 
passing  into  a  breccia.  Its  exact  nature  has  puzzled 
petrologists  ;  but  the  rock  has  been  most  carefully 
examined  by  Prof.  Maskelyne,  M.P.,  and  the  component 
minerals  analysed  by  Dr.  Flight.  The  base  of  the  rock 
is  a  soft  mineral,  soapy  to  the  touch,  and  of  green  or 
bluish  color  ;  it  contains  angular  fragments  of  shale,  more 
or  less  altered,  associated  with  various  distinct  minerals, 
including  crystals  of  a  bright  green  bronzite  ;  of  a  horn- 
blendic  mineral  resembling  smaragdite;  of  a  species  of 
vermiculite,  called  Vaalite ;  with  Garnet,  Ilmenite,  &c. 
Veins  of  calcite,  and  nodules  of  iron-pyrites,  are  occasion¬ 
ally  present.  But  the  only  minerals  that  attract  the 
miner’s  atten  ion  are  the  Diamonds.  These  are  sprinkled 
pretty  freely  through  the  “  stuff ;  ”  sometimes  as  beauti¬ 
fully  formed  crystals,  but  frequently  as  mere  fragments 
and  splinters.  They  are  said  to  be  most  abundant  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  dioritic  dykes,  but  their  distribution  is 
very  irregular ;  in  one  claim  they  may  be  richly  dissemi¬ 
nated,  whilst  in  the  neighbouring  claim  they  are  but 
sparsely  scattered  through  the  rock.  Each  pipe  is  said  to 
yield  Diamonds  easily  distinguished  from  those  of  other 
pipes,  so  that  buyers  on  the  field  can  generally  tell,  on 
looking  at  a  stone,  from  which  locality  it  has  been  obtained. 
These  Deal  peculiarities  suggest  that  the  stones  have  been 
formed  in  or  near  the  centres  where  they  are  now  found. 
Indeed,  it  has  been  maintained  that  the  rock,  now  filling 


94 


South  African  Diamonds. 


the  pipes  was,  in  its  unaltered  state,  the  original  home  of 
the  Diamond  —that  the  gems  are  in  fact  in  their  proper 
matrix.  In  support  of  this  view,  it  should  be  mentioned 
that  most  of  the  crystals  are  sharp  at  the  edges,  and  ex¬ 
hibit  no  signs  of  abrasion,  such  as  we  might  expect  to  find 
had  they  been  transported  far  from  their  original  site. 
On  the  other  hand,  a  large  proportion  of  the  crystals  have 
evidently  been  shattered,  and  exist  now  as  mere  fragments, 
showing  that  the  rock  has  suffered  great  disturbance, 
though  it  may  only  have  been  during  its  projection  to  the 
surface  from  some  deep-seated  source.  It  is  a  curiously 
significant  fact  well  worth  noticing,  that  many  of  the 
crystals  of  Diamond  in  these  pipes  exhibit,  on  their  octa¬ 
hedral  faces,  regular  triangular  depressions,  strongly  sug¬ 
gestive  of  the  triangular  striations  which  the  late  Gustav 
Rose  produced  on  Diamonds,  by  heating  them  in  a  muffle, 
so  as  to  undergo  incipient  combustion. 

Of  all  the  Diamond-bearing  localities  in  South  Africa, 
that  of  Kimberley  stands  pre-eminent.  In  July,  1871,  a 
“  new  rush  ” — that  is  to  say.  a  fresh  centre  of  discovery  — 
was  reported  at  a  small  hill  or  kopje  situated  at  only  about 
a  mile  from  De  Beer’s.  This  locality  was  known  as  the 
“  Colesberg  Kopje,”  while  the  surrounding  town,  which  to 
meet  the  wants  of  the  new  comers  sprang  up  with  mush¬ 
room-like  celerity,  was  called  the  “New  Rush.”  Subse¬ 
quently  it  received  the  name  of  Kimberley,  in  compliment 
to  the  Earl  of  Kimberley,  H.M.’s  Secretary  of  State  for 
the  Colonies. 

Compared  with  Kimberly,  all  other  Diamond  mines 
sink  into  comparative  insignificance.  It  is  but  a  few  acres 
in  extent,  yet  the  precious  stones  have  been  so  lavishly 
scattered  through  its  rocks  that  the  output  of  Diamonds 
has  been  simply  marvellous.  Probably  the  best  descrip¬ 
tion  of  the  mine,  from  a  scientific  point  of  view,  is  that 


South  African  Diamonds. 


95 


recently  published  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Hudlestone.  The  Dia¬ 
mond-rock  forms  an  elliptical  pipe  rising  through  the 
surrounding  shales,  which  are  known  to  the  miners  as  the 
“  reef.”  At  the  surface  is  a  layer  of  about  three  feet  of 
reddish  sand  ;  this  is  followed  by  15  feet  of  concretionary 
limestone,  which  is  succeeded  by  something  like  30  feet 
of  “  yellow  stuff,”  with  much  “  floating  reef,”  below  which 
the  miner  comes  down  upon  the  “  blue  earth.”  This  blue 
stuff  has  been  worked  to  a  depth  of  about  300  feet,  but  is 
known  from  recent  borings  to  extend  to  a  much  greater 
depth.  The  blue  earth  is  the  famous  Diamond-rock  of  South 
Africa,  already  described  so  fully  by  Maskelyne  and  Flight 
in  this  country,  and  by  Cohen,  Fouque  and  Ldvy  on  the 
Continent.  The  yellow  stuff  is  only  an  altered  form  of 
the  blue  earth,  and  the  so-called  floating  reef  is  nothing 
but  the  debris  of  the  neighbouring  rocks,  fragments  of 
shale  and  basalt  being  enclosed  so  as  to  form  a  brecciated 
mass.  Pieces  of  ostrich  shell  are  occasionally  found  in 
the  Diamond  earth,  having  fallen  down  through  fissures. 

It  is  evident  that  by  working  away  the  Diamond- 
rock  in  all  directions  there  must  be  some  chance  of  the 
sides  or  walls  giving  way  and  falling  in  upon  the  mine. 
Such  falls  of  the  reef  have  frequently  taken  place,  and  on 
the  1st  of  April,  1883,  an  accident  of  unusual  magnitude 
occurred.  From  the  N.E.  to  the  S.E.  of  the  margin  of 
the  mine  huge  masses  of  loosened  shale  fell  into  the 
workings,  disturbing  the  gear  and  overwhelming  many  of 
the  claims.  Other  falls  of  the  reef  followed  soon  after¬ 
wards,  and  at  present  a  large  proportion  of  the  workings 
are  buried  beneath  the  fallen  masses  of  rock,  which  can 
only  be  cleared  away  with  great  labour  and  much  loss 
of  time. 

According  to  the  views  previously  explained,  the 
South-African  Diamonds  were  originally  developed  in  an 


9  6 


South  African  Diamonds. 


igneous  matrix,  belonging,  probably,  to  that  large  series 
of  eruptive  rocks  which  have  burst  forth  through  the 
karoo  strata  at  so  many  points  in  South  Africa.  The 
blue  earth  may  have  been  in  a  pasty  condition  when 
forced  up  the  volcanic  pipe,  and  hot  water  may  have  had 
more  concern  in  its  formation  than  dry-heat. 

Dismissing  so  vexed  a  question  as  that  of  the  genesis 
of  the  Diamond-rock,  we  tread  upon  firmer  ground  when 
we  pass  to  a  description  of  the  gems  which  have  been  dis¬ 
covered  in  the  South-African  fields.  Little  more  than 
fifteen  years  has  passed  since  these  fields  were  first  known, 
and  during  that  brief  space  of  time  a  large  number  of 
stones  of  unusual  size  have  been  brought  to  light.  The 
high  proportion  of  large-sized  Diamonds  is  indeed  a  most 
notable  feature  in  the  South-African  discoveries.  The 
first  which  acquired  notoriety,  named  the  “  Star  of  South 
Africa,”  now  known  as  the  “  Dudley  Diamond,”  was,  in 
the  rough,  of  an  irregular  shape,  and  about  the  size  of  a 
small  walnut  ;  its  weight  was  83!  carats.  After  cutting, 
this  was  reduced  to  465  carats.  It  is  triangular  in  shape, 
of  great  brilliancy,  perfectly  colorless,  and  cannot  be  dis¬ 
tinguished  from  an  old  Indian  stone.  This  gem,  in  1869, 
came  into  the  possession  of  Schalk  van  Niekirk,  already 
referred  to,  who  obtained  it  from  a  Kafir  Doctor  or  Sorcerer. 
Subsequently,  it  was  exhibited  at  Port  Elizabeth  and  Cape 
Town,  when  it  was  visited  by  crowds  of  people.  By 
Messrs  Lilienfield  Brothers,  of  Hopetown,  who  purchased 
it  of  Van  Niekirk  for  ,£1 1,200,  it  was  shipped  to  England, 
and  passed  into  the  possession  of  Messrs.  Hunt  and 
Roskell,  by  whom  it  was  cut  and  sold  to  the  present  Earl 
Dudley.  It  was  mounted  by  them,  with  other  Diamonds, 
with  enhanced  effect,  as  a  head  ornament. 

A  Diamond  of  pale  yellow  tint,  weighing  112  carats, 
was  brought  to  the  late  Prof.  Tennant  by  an  old  student, 


South  African  Diamonds. 


97 


and  when  cut  yielded  a  Brilliant  of  66  carats.  This  stone 
has  now  found  a  home  with  the  King  of  Siam.  Again,  a 
stone  of  124  carats  was  found  at  Du  Toit’s  Pan,  on  July 
21,  1871.  Another  large  and  well-known  South- African 
Diamond  is  the  famous  “Stewart,”  which  was  found  in 
1872,  at  Waldeck’s  Plant,  on  the  Vaal  River,  and  con¬ 
signed  to  Messrs.  Pittar,  Leverson  &  Co.,  in  London.  It 
weighed  in  its  rough  state  288§  carats,  or  nearly  two  ounces 
troy.  It  is  of  a  light  yellow  color,  beautifully  crystallized. 

The  following  history  and  particulars  of  its  discovery 
are  extracted  from  the  Port  Elizabeth  Telegraph ,  of  the 
22nd  November,  1872.  “  The  claim  from  which  this 

gem  was  taken  was  originally  owned  by  a  Mr.  F.  Pepper, 
by  him  sold  to  a  Mr.  Spalding  for  £30,  and  handed  over 
by  the  latter  to  one  Antonie,  to  work  on  shares.  The  claim 
was  quite  an  outside  one,  and  not  thought  much  of  by  the 
owner,  but  as  others  were  finding  near  him,  he  thought  it 
was  just  possible  he  might  also  find  n  gem.  He  persevered 
until,  first,  the  ‘  Fly  Diamond,’  and  next,  after  further  toil, 
this  prize  rewarded  his  labour.  Antonie’s  feelings  when  he 
first  obtained  a  glimpse  of  the  treasure  may  be  better 
imagined  than  described.  He  says  that  he  was  working  in 
the  claim,  when  he  told  his  boy  to  leave  off  picking  in  the 
centre  and  commence  at  the  side.  Not  being  understood, 
he  took  a  pick  and  began  himself,  when  he  was  suddenly 
spell-bound  by  the  sight  of  a  large  stone,  with  the  primary 
aspect  of  a  Diamond.  For  some  minutes  he  could  neither 
speak  nor  move  for  fear  of  dispelling  the  apparent  illusion, 
but,  collecting  his  energies,  he  made  a  dart  forward  and 
clutched  the  prize.  Even  then,  however,  he  did  not  feel 
quite  safe,  and  it  required  a  grand  effort  to  reach  Mr. 
Spalding’s  cart,  which  had  to  be  called  into  requisition. 
For  two  whole  days  he  was  unable  to  eat  anything,  from 
the  intensity  of  his  excitement.” 


G 


98 


South  African  Diamonds. 


At  Jagersfontein,  in  the  Orange  River  Free  State,  a 
Diamond  of  2094  carats  was  discovered,  and  it  is  said  that 
this  magnificent  stone  was  purchased  of  a  Kafir  by  an 
illicit  Diamond  buyer  for  the  absurd  sum  of  .£15.  Quite 
recently  a  Diamond  weighing  over  600  carats,  but  very 
impure,  was  unearthed  at  these  diggings. 

At  Du  Toit’s  Pan,  several  beautiful  stones,  of  50 
carats  each,  and  one  of  244  carats  have  been  discovered. 
The  value  of  the  claims  in  these  South  African  mines  has 
risen  enormously  during  the  last  few  years.  Ground  that 
was  originally  sold  at  £50  for  thirty-one  square  feet,  (the 
exact  size  of  every  claim)  is  now  realizing  many  thousands 
of  pounds.  The  serious  falls  of  reef  from  which  Kimberley 
has  lately  suffered  have,  of  course,  affected  the  value  of 
many  of  the  claims. 

By  far  the  finest  South  African  Diamond  yet  dis¬ 
covered  was  found  on  February  12,  1880,  in  a  claim  at 
Kimberley,  belonging  to  Mr.  Porter-Rhodes.  It  is  true 
that  in  weight  it  has  been  exceeded  by  many  other  stones, 
but  in  purity  of  color  it  is  absolutely  without  a  rival.  It 
weighs  150  carats,  and  placed  by  the  side  of  Cape  stones, 
having  a  slight  tendency  to  yellowish  tints,  it  seems  to 
present  the  faintest  possible  shade  of  blue.  This  magni¬ 
ficent  “  blue-white  ”  Diamond,  which  was  valued  by  its 
owner  at  £ 200,000,  was  publicly  exhibited  at  Mr.  Streeter’s. 

While  South  Africa  has  thus  been  remarkable  for 
yielding  stones  of  large  size,  it  must  also  be  stated  that 
the  more  recent  supplies  are  no  less  satisfactory  as  to 
the  quality  of  the  gems  brought  to  light.  True,  a  large 
number  of  the  Diamonds  are  “  ofif-colored  ”  stones,  gene¬ 
rally  exhibiting  a  delicate  straw-tint,  but  none  the  less  they 
are  extremely  beautiful  when  properly  cut.  A  very  fair 
proportion  of  the  South-African  Stones  are  Diamonds  of 
the  first  water,  rivalling  in  beauty  and  purity  the  finest 


South  African  Diamonds. 


99 


Brazilian  and  Indian  Stones.  This  is  especially  the  case 
with  the  Diamonds  from  the  Jagersfontein  mine.  With 
regard  to  the  Kimberley  mine,  it  is  found  that  Iron  Pyrites 
exists  in  large  quantities,  and  the  theory  has  been  broached 
that  to  this  cause  is  due  the  extraordinarily  large  number 
of  colored  or  “  off-color  ”  stones,  that  are  found  in  the 
mine  ;  while  in  the  Jagersfontein  mine  Iron  Pyrites  is 
not  found,  and  nearly  all  the  Diamonds  found  there  are 
the  purest  white.  The  great  majority  of  these  stones  are 
not  only  pure  in  color,  but  splendid  crystals,  symmetrical 
in  shape,  and  cut  well.  It  may  be  reasonably  expected 
that  when  this  mine  is  fully  developed,  it  will  become 
the  most  important  and  remunerative  in  South  Africa. 

It  has  been  estimated  that  about  20  per  cent,  of  the 
Cape  Diamonds  are  of  the  first  quality;  15  per  cent,  of 
the  second  ;  and  20  per  cent,  of  the  third,  the  remainder 
being  “  bort.”  All  Diamonds  which  are  too  impure  for 
cutting  are  now  known  under  the  general  name  of  bort; 
and  these  possess  a  fixed  market  value,  the  powder  which 
they  yield  when  crushed,  being  used  for  grinding  Dia¬ 
monds,  and  in  the  engraving  of  gems  of  exceptional 
hardness. 

An  interesting  specimen  on  view  at  Mr.  Streeter’s 
exhibits  several  octahedral  crystals  of  Diamond  grouped 
around  a  central  nucleus  of  dark-colored  bort.  This  speci¬ 
men  weighs  19  carats,  and  was  obtained  from  the  Dia¬ 
mond-fields  by  explorers,  privately  sent  out  by  the  author. 

During  the  time  the  expedition  was  working  at  the 
Cape,  the  superiority  of  the  river  stones  over  those  from 
the  dry  diggings,  induced  the  writer  to  suggest  that 
machinery  should  be  sent  out  for  the  purpose  of  turning 
the  course  of  the  Vaal  river.  The  object  in  view  was  to 
work  in  the  river-bed.  This  project  was  reluctantly  aban¬ 
doned  in  consequence  of  the  ill-health  of  the  leader  of  the 


ioo 


South  African  Diamonds. 


expedition.  The  history  of  the  great  findings  of  Indian 
Diamonds  rendered  it  most  probable,  that  the  finest  stones 
would  occur  in  the  river-bed,  and  events  have  sanctioned 
the  correctness  of  these  anticipations.  A  “  drop,”  with 
a  twin  of  clear  cinnamon  color,  discovered  in  the  Cape 
diggings,  was  pronounced  by  Diamond  merchants  of 
great  experience,  to  be  an  Indian,  and  not  a  Cape  Stone. 

The  enormous  yield  of  the  South  African  Diamond- 
fields  is  well  illustrated  by  the  following  extract  from  the 
South  African ,  for  June  9,  1883  : — “  The  total  nett  weight 
of  Diamonds  which  passed  through  the  Kimberley  Post- 
office  during  the  year  1881  has  been  estimated  at  1,501 
lbs.  avoirdupois,  with  an  average  value  throughout  the 
year  of  27s.  per  carat  ;  besides  the  quantity  exported 
through  the  Post-office,  large  quantities  were  sent  to 
Europe  and  elsewhere  through  private  hands.  It  may  be 
therefore,  roughly  estimated  that  the  produce  of  the  Dia¬ 
mond  mines  exported  last  year  could  not  have  been  much 
less  than  ,£5,000,000.” 

Notwithstanding  the  enormous  number  of  Diamonds 
which  have  been  brought  to  light  during  the  recent 
workings  in  South  Africa,  it  is  notable  that  not  a  single 
piece  of  Carbonado- — the  black,  impure  variety  of  Diamond 
found  in  Brazil — has  yet  been  discovered.  In  fact,  while 
certain  points  of  resemblance  have  been  traced  between 
the  occurrence  of  Diamonds  in  Africa  and  that  in  Brazil, 
there  are  other  points  in  which  such  a  comparison  entirely 
breaks  down.  It  would  be  more  correct,  in  many  respects, 
to  assert  that  the  Diamond-fields  of  South  Africa  are 
unique. 


CHAPTER  III. 

AUSTRALIAN  DIAMONDS. 


LTHOUGH  three,  at  least,  of  our  Australian 
Colonies  have  yielded  Diamonds,  it  is  only 
in  New  South  Wales  that  they  have  been 
found  in  sufficient  quantity  to  invite  syste¬ 
matic  exploration.  As  far  back  as  the  year  1851,  Mr. 
E.  H.  Hargraves  and  the  Rev.  W.  B.  Clarke,  in  a  report 
dated  from  Guyong,  referred  to  some  specimens  of  gold, 
and  to  a  number  of  gems,  including  what  they  called, 
rather  vaguely,  “  a  small  one  of  the  Diamond  kind,” 
found  in  Reedy  Creek,  near  Bathurst.  But  it  was  especially 
the  late  Rev.  W.  B.  Clarke,  a  gentleman  well-known  for 
his  researches  in  Australian  geology,  who  first  directed 
public  attention  to  the  Diamonds  of  New  South  Wales. 
Four  specimens  had  been  brought  to  him  from  the  Mac¬ 
quarie  river,  near  Sutton’s  Bar,  in  September,  1859,  and  a 
fifth,  the  following  month,  from  Burrendong.  In  the 
meantime,  he  had  received  Diamonds  from  Pyramul  and 
Calabash  Creeks.  These  discoveries  were  considered  by 
Mr.  Clarke  so  significant,  that  he  wrote  a  description  of 


102 


Australian  Diamonds. 


the  occurrence,  boldly  heading  it  with  the  startling  title, 
“  New  South  Wales,  a  Diamond  Country.”  This  an¬ 
nouncement  was  not  commercially  justified  till  seven  or 
eight  years  later,  when  the  gold  rush  occurred  at  the  Two- 
mile  Flat,  on  the  Cudgegong  River,  about  nineteen  miles 
north-west  of  Mudgee.  The  Cudgegong  empties  itself 
into  the  Macquarie,  which  is  an  affluent  of  the  Darling. 
As  soon  as  the  gold-diggers  had  set  to  work  they  de¬ 
tected  Diamonds;  and  in  July,  1S69,  operations  were 
conducted  by  the  Australian  Diamond  Mines’  Company 
of  Melbourne. 

At  the  Mudgee  workings,  gems  were  found  in  an  old 
river-drift,  distributed  in  local  patches, which  appeared  to  be 
remnants  of  deposits  once  widely  spread  over  the  district, 
but  now  partially  removed  by  denudation.  These  ancient 
river-gravels  occur  at  various  distances  from  the  actual 
channel,  and  at  elevations  of  forty  feet  or  more  above  the 
level  of  the  river.  They  are  generally  covered  by  a  pro¬ 
tective  layer  of  basalt,  sometimes  columnar  ;  and  shafts 
have  been  sunk  through  this  basaltic  cap,  so  as  to  reach 
the  under-lying  Diamond-drift,  which  rests  either  on  ver¬ 
tical  strata  or  on  massive  greenstone.  The  gravels  contain 
pebbles,  and  boulders  of  Quartz,  Tin-Stone,  Rock-Crystal, 
Jasper,  Agate,  and  other  siliceous  minerals,  mixed  with 
coarse  sand  and  clay.  Many  of  the  boulders  are  remark¬ 
able  for  their  peculiar  polish.  In  some  places  the  materials 
of  the  drift  are  united  by  a  siliceous  cement,  into  a  compact 
mass,  colored  pale-green  by  an  iron  silicate.  Among  the 
pebbles  of  the  gravel,  the  diligent  seeker  may  find  many  of 
the  rarer  minerals,  including  crystals  of  Topaz,  Sapphire, 
Ruby,  Zircon,  Spinel,  Garnet,  and  a  peculiar  vesicular 
variety  of  Pleonaste  ;  and  even  this  catalogue  might  be 
extended,  but  for  present  purposes  it  is  only  needful  to 
add  that  two  of  the  most  prized  substances  in  nature — gold 


Australian  Diamonds. 


103 


and  the  Diamond — are  included.  The  Diamonds  are 
sparsely  and  irregularly  distributed  through  the  gravels  ; 
but,  nevertheless,  when  large  quantities  of  the  drift  are 
sifted  and  washed,  the  gems  are  brought  to  light,  hardly, 
however,  in  sufficient  numbers  to  pay  for  the  working : 
as  an  example,  during  the  first  five  months’  washings  no 
fewer  than  2,500  Diamonds  were  picked  out ,  but  unfor¬ 
tunately,  most  of  the  stones  were  very  small.  The  largest 
of  the  Mudgee  Diamonds,  a  colorless  octahedron,  weighed 
but  5 1  carats  :  it  was  cut  into  a  very  fine  white  Brilliant 
of  3  carats,  now  the  property  of  John  de  Pass,  Esq. 

These  stones  are  found  in  a  deposit  of  gravel,  pro¬ 
bably  washed  out  of  an  older  drift.  Occasionally,  they 
have  been  found  in  “  water-holes  ”  in  the  actual  river-bed  ; 
but  the  discovery  may  generally  be  attributed  to  “tail¬ 
ings  ”  washed  into  the  river  at  certain  points  from  the 
gold  diggings,  and  therefore  the  Diamonds  may  naturally 
be  tracked  back  to  the  old  drift.  When  found  in  the 
river-bed  the  stones  are  frequently  scratched  and  frac¬ 
tured. 

Within  the  last  few  years  a  Diamond-field  has  been 
opened  up  near  Bingera,  in  New  South  Wales.  This  town 
is  about  400  miles  north  of  Sydney,  on  the  River  Plorton, 
popularly  known  as  the  “Big  River.”  How  the  Diamonds 
occur  at  this  locality,  has  been  well  described  by  Professor 
Liversidge,  of  Sydney.  The  Diamond-bearing  deposits 
are  situated  in  a  kind  of  basin,  about  four  miles  long  and 
three  miles  wide,  hemmed  in  by  hills  on  all  sides  save  on 
the  north.  An  old  river-drift,  probably  an  ancient  bed  of 
the  Horton,  rests  upon  rocks  of  Devonian  or  of  Carboni¬ 
ferous  age,  and  is  associated  with  basalt,  by  which  it 
appears  to  be  overlain.  In  some  places  the  materials  of 
the  drift  are  compacted  together  into  a  conglomerate,  so 
that  the  mode  of  occurrence  of  the  Diamond  at  Bingera 


104 


A  ustralian  Diamonds. 


strikingly  resembles  that  at  Mudgee.  The  minerals  com¬ 
posing  the  gravels  are  also  generally  similar  in  the  two 
cases,  though  points  of  difference  are  not  wanting.  One 
of  the  best  indications  of  the  presence  of  the  Diamond, 
according  to  the  Bingera  miners,  is  a  black  Tourmaline, 
known  locally  as  “Jet-stone.”  Some  of  the  Diamonds  are 
clear  and  colorless,  others  have  a  pale  straw-tint  :  all  are 
of  small  size,  the  largest  yet  known  weighing  about  eight 
grains.  According  to  an  examination  of  some  of  the  Bin¬ 
gera  drift,  by  the  Gwydir  Diamond-mining  Company,  a  ton 
of  “stuff”  yields  on  an  average  twenty  Diamonds.  Up  to 
August  26th,  1873,  the  Eaglehawk  claim  had  produced 
1,680  Diamonds;  but  as  the  aggregate  weighed  only  803 
grains  troy,  the  very  small  size  of  the  average  stones  is 
sufficiently  apparent. 

In  addition  to  the  prominent  Diamond-bearing  locali¬ 
ties  described  above,  we  might  readily  point  to  several 
other  spots  in  the  Colony  where  the  gem  has  occasionally 
been  found.  Thus  the  Borah  Tin  and  Diamond  Mining 
Company  obtained  upwards  of  200  Diamonds  in  the  course 
of  a  few  months  from  their  mine  near  the  junction  of 
Cope’s  Creek  with  the  Gwydir.  Most  of  the  stones  were 
either  of  light  straw  color  or  of  very  pale  green  tint. 
The  largest  weighed  five  grains.  The  Bengover  Tin  Mine, 
about  two  miles  below  the  Borah  workings,  has  yielded 
several  Diamonds,  including  one  of  grains.  A  stone 
of  9  grains  has  been  found  at  Bald  Hill,  Tambaroora 
Hill  end. 

Compared  with  the  Diamond  discoveries  in  New  South 
Wales,  those  of  other  parts  of  Australia  sink  into  insig¬ 
nificance.  South  Australia  is  rich  in  mineral  treasure  ;  but 
this  treasure  mostly  takes  the  form  of  ores  of  copper  and 
iron.  Yet  the  Colony  is  not  without  its  gold  fields,  and 
with  the  gold  a  few  Diamonds  have  been  found.  In  the 


Australian  Diamonds. 


105 


year  1852  Diamonds  were  discovered  in  alluvial  gold 
washings  in  the  hills,  near  Echunga,  about  twenty  miles 
south-east  of  Adelaide.  It  is  said  that  more  than  a 
hundred  Diamonds  have  at  different  times  been  found  in 
this  neighbourhood. 

Whilst  Victoria  is  pre-eminently  the  “  Golden  Colony,’’ 
and  its  gold  fields  have  for  many  years  been  actively 
explored,  it  is  only  now  and  then  that  a  solitary  Diamond 
has  been  found  there.  In  1862  the  discovery  of  a  Diamond 
in  the  Ovens  district  was  announced  by  Mr.  George  Foord. 
It  was  a  transparent  yellow  crystal,  with  perfect  edges, 
weighing  about  two  grains.  The  Rev.  J.  J.  Bleasdale,  who 
has  paid  great  attention  to  the  study  of  Australian  gems, 
described  three  Victorian  Diamonds — two  from  Beechworth, 
and  the  third  from  Collingwood  Flat.  There  appears,  how¬ 
ever,  to  have  been  some  little  doubt  hanging  over  the 
reputed  discoveries  of  Diamonds  in  Victoria  ;  but  in  1865 
an  Exhibition  of  Gems  was  held  in  the  Hall  of  the  Royal 
Society  of  Victoria,  and  from  the  specimens  then  exhibited, 
and  the  information  accompanying  them,  the  matter  was 
set  at  rest.  “  The  results  of  this  exhibition,”  said  Dr. 
Bleasdale,  “  have  now  placed  this  important  truth  beyond 
impeachment.”  Altogether  about  sixty  Diamonds  have 
been  found  in  the  Beechworth  district,  but  they  have  not 
been  of  good  color,  nor  of  large  size,  most  of  them  weigh¬ 
ing  less  than  a  carat  each. 

The  first  Australian  Diamond  ever  brought  to  this 
country  was  presented  by  Sir  Thomas  Mitchell  to  the 
Museum  of  Practical  Geology,  in  Jermyn  Street,  where  it 
may  now  be  seen.  This  small  crystal  weighs  f  of  a  carat, 
and  was  found  near  Orphir,  west  of  Bathurst,  New  South 
Wales. 

To  sum  up  our  knowledge  of  Australian  Diamonds  : 
New  South  Wales,  which  is  rich  in  coal,  in  oil  shales,  and 


io  6 


Australian  Diamonds. 


in  various  carbonaceous  products,  is  by  no  means  poor  in 
Diamonds,  although  those  already  discovered  are,  for  the 
most  part,  extremely  small  ;  South  Australia,  with  its  vast 
wealth  in  copper  and  iron,  possesses  a  limited  Diamond- 
producing  area  ;  Victoria,  the  great  centre  of  the  gold 
fields,  has  furnished  only  an  occasional  Diamond  as  a 
mineralogical  rarity  ;  and  the  other  Australian  colonies,  so 
far  as  we  know,  have  not  hitherto  yielded  a  single  Diamond. 
But  it  is  not  improbable  that  if,  instead  of  searching  for 
Diamonds  in  the  gravel  drifts  and  old  river  beds,  geological 
researches  had  been  instituted  in  the  Australian  Alps,  the 
matrix  might  have  been  discovered,  whence  the  Diamonds 
already  found  have  been  washed.  The  geological  forma¬ 
tion  of  the  whole  of  the  New  England  district  in  New 
South  Wales  resembles  closely  that  of  the  district  of  the 
Bagagem  Mines,  in  Brazil,  and  may,  in  no  very  distant 
future,  reasonably  be  expected  to  yield  Diamonds  in  pay¬ 
ing  quantities.  Another  Diamond  field  may  be  found  ere 
long  in  Queensland,  either  on  the  Palmer  River  or  its 
affluents,— where  very  remarkable  and  rich  gold  mines 
have  been  discovered, — or,  on  the  Gilbert  River  and  its 
affluents,  and  in  the  country  extending  from  the  Gilbert 
to  the  Gulf  of  Carpentaria. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

BRAZILIAN  DIAMONDS. 


N  washing  the  sands  of  some  of  the  Brazilian 
rivers,  for  the  sake  of  the  gold  which  they 
contain,  the  natives  occasionally  lighted  upon 
little  hard  stones  of  peculiar  shape,  which, 
until  the  early  part  of  the  last  century,  they  regarded  as 
of  no  value,  and  either  threw  them  away,  or  used  them  as 
counters  in  card-playing.  It  was  not  until  1727  that 
Bernardino  Fonseca  Lobo,  an  inhabitant  of  Serra  do  Frio, 
in  the  gold  district  of  Minas-Geraes,  accidentally  dis¬ 
covered  the  true  nature  of  these  stones.  He  had  seen 
rough  Diamonds  in  India,  and  the  likeness  to  these  was 
so  striking  that  he  took  a  number  to  Portugal  for  sale, 
and  thus  drew  general  observation  towards  the  new  Dia¬ 
mond  mines. 

The  European  merchants,  who  up  to  this  time  had 
obtained  their  Diamonds  from  India,  were  frightened  lest 
this  discovery  should  cause  a  fall  in  the  price  of  the  gems 
in  their  possession.  They  consequently  spread  the  report 
that  the  Brazilian  Diamonds  were  only  the  refuse  of  the 
Indian  stones,  forwarded  to  Goa,  and  thence  to  Brazil. 

The  Portuguese,  however,  turned  the  tables,  and  sent 


io8 


Brazilian  Diamonds. 


the  Brazilian  Diamond  to  Goa,  and  thence  to  Bengal 
where  they  were  offered  for  sale  as  Indian  stones,  and 
obtained  Indian  prices. 

It  is  only  within  the  last  few  years  that  the  Diamond¬ 
bearing  rocks  of  Brazil  have  been  sufficiently  studied  to 
enable  geologists  to  speak  with  anything  like  confidence 
in  regard  to  their  nature  and  their  age.  Observers,  it  is 
true,  have  been  many,  but  the  observations  have  mostly 
been  of  so  superficial  a  nature,  and  in  many  cases,  so  con¬ 
tradictory,  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  deduce  any 
satisfactory  conclusions.  Lately,  however,  the  Diamond¬ 
bearing  regions  have  been  more  thoroughly  examined, 
especially  by  Prof.  Gorceix,  the  head  of  the  School  of  Mines 
at  Ouro  Preto,  and  by  Prof.  O.  A.  Derby,  of  the  Museum 
at  Rio  Janeiro.  Sections  have  been  made  of  the  strata,  of 
which  the  Diamond-bearing  provinces  are  composed,  and 
a  satisfactory  sequence  has  been  established. 

It  would  be  out  of  place  here  to  give  a  full  description 
of  the  geology  of  Brazil,  but  it  may  be  said  that,  although 
the  Diamond  is  found  in  the  provinces  of  Minas-Geraes, 
Bahia,  Goyaz,  Matto  Grosso  and  Parana,  the  geological 
structure  of  all,  so  far  as  can  be  learned,  is  substantially 
the  same.  The  mode  of  occurrence  of  Diamonds  at  Dia- 
mantina,  in  the  province  of  Minas-Geraes,  may  therefore 
be  fairly  taken  as  typical  of  the  workings  throughout 
Brazil.  Diamantina  itself  is  situated  along  the  crest,  and 
on  both  flanks  of  the  great  interior  mountain  range  of 
Brazil,  which,  at  a  general  height  of  about  4000  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  divides  the  waters  of  the  Sao  Fran¬ 
cisco  on  the  west,  from  those  of  the  Doce  Jequetinhonha 
and  other  rivers  on  the  east.  The  northward  prolongation 
of  the  range  includes  the  Diamond  regions  of  Grao  Mogol, 
in  the  province  of  Minas-Geraes,  and  that  of  the  so-called 
Chapada  Diamantina  in  Bahia. 


Brazilian  Diamonds. 


109 


A  very  important  group  of  rocks  stretches  from  the 
former  to  the  latter  of  these  rivers.  This  group  has  been 
called  the  Itacolumite  series,  from  the  occurrence  of 
Itacolumite ,  a  rock  which  takes  its  name  from  the  Serra 
do  Itacolumi.  The  true  Itacolumite  of  petrologists  is  a 
sandstone,  remarkable  for  possessing  flexibility,  so  that  a 
thin  slab  admits  of  being  readily  bent  to  and  fro.  This 
peculiar  rock  is,  however,  only  a  rare  variety  of  the  Itaco¬ 
lumite,  most  of  which  is  a  granular  schistose  quartzite,  or 
metamorphic  sandstone,  destitute  of  flexibility. 

The  Brazilian  Itacolumite  has  long  figured  in  works 
on  mineralogy  as  the  original  matrix — the  true  parent- 
rock — of  the  Diamond. 

In  the  geological  section  under  description,  the  Itaco- 
lumites  are  associated  with  a  group  of  hydro-mica  schists 
and  Itaberites,  or  schists  containing  specular  iron-ore. 
Traversing  these  rocks  are  certain  more  or  less  defined 
veins  of  clayey  matter  containing  Diamonds.  The  mineral 
is  here  supposed  to  occur  in  its  primitive  position,  the 
clayey  material  being  probably  its  decaying  matrix.  Dia¬ 
monds  are  alsp  found  in  the  quartzites  of  an  overlying 
series,  but  here  they  are  to  be  regarded  as  pebbles  washed 
out  of  their  original  home  in  the  lower  group  of  rocks. 
They  are  likewise  distributed  through  the  gravels  of  the 
Brazilian  Highlands,  where  they  find  a  resting-place  after 
having  been  set  free  from  their  enclosing  matrix.  It  is 
possible  then  that  a  Diamond,  born  originally  in  the 
lower  metamorphic  series,  may  have  been  transported 
among  the  materials  which  enter  into  the  constitution  of 
the  upper  series,  and  then  on  the  wearing  down  of  these 
upper  rocks,  may  have  been  once  more  disturbed,  and 
finally  deposited  in  the  gravels  of  the  present  river 
valleys.  Such  is  the  geological  history  of  many  a 
Brazilian  Diamond. 


I  IO 


Brazilian  Diamonds. 


Mr.  Hodder  M.  Westropp,  a  gentleman  well-known 
lor  the  attention  which  he  has  given  to  the  subject  of 
Precious  Stones,  has  favoured  Mr.  Streeter  with  the 
following  notes  : — 

“  Prof.  Gorceix  and  Mr.  Derby  are  agreed  in  con¬ 
sidering  the  material  of  the  St.  Joao  mine  described  by 
Captain  Burton,  as  the  parent-rock  of  the  Diamond.  It  is 
near  Diamantina  (Tijuco  of  the  old  maps)  the  centre  of 
the  principal  Diamond  region.  Mining  is  at  present 
carried  on  most  extensively  in  this  region,  in  the  moun¬ 
tain  region  of  Central  Bahia  about  Lencoes,  in  the 
Bagagem  region  of  Western  Minas,  and  to  a  limited 
extent  in  Goyaz,  Matto  Grosso,  and  Parana. 

“  Itacolumi  is  a  mountain  near  Ouro  Preto  (Villa 
Rica  of  old  maps),  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Minas. 
It  is  outside  of  the  Diamond  regions,  but  contains  the 
characteristic  rocks  of  that  region.  True  Itacolumite 
belongs  to  the  Diamond  series,  but  so  far  Diamonds  have 
not  been  found  in  it,  though  they  have  been  found  in  a 
rock  hitherto  confounded  with  it,  though  of  late  geological 
age,  and  of  conglomerate  character,  the  gem  entering  as  a 
rolled  pebble  from  the  older  and  true  parent  formation.” 

The  Diamond  washings  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Diamantina  are  performed  either  in  old  river  gravels  or  in 
the  beds  of  rivers,  in  whose  bottoms  continuous  pot-holes 
or  canons  are  found,  filled  with  the  Diamond-bearing 
gravel.  The  courses  of  the  rivers  are  turned  by  means 
of  temporary  dams  or  wooden  sluices,  and  the  Diamond- 
bearing  gravel  hollowed  out.  The  minerals  associated 
with  the  Diamond  are  anatase,  rutile,  specular  iron, 
martite,  Topaz,  and  Tourmaline. 

About  ioo  miles  north  of  Diamantina,  on  the  Corrego 
dos  Bois,  near  Grao  Mogol,  the  Diamond  has  been  found 
in  a  solid  conglomerate  rock  named  by  the  miners 


Brazilian  Diamonds.  ill 

“  Pigeon  eggs.”  This  was  formerly  regarded  as  the 
Itacolumite,  but  has  lately  been  identified  with  the  upper 
series,  overlying  the  true  Itacolumite  group.  In  1839 
about  2,000  people  flocked  here  to  work. 

A  few  good  Diamonds  have  been  found  in  old  mines, 
about  three  miles  from  Tibago,  on  land  which  has  become 
the  common  property  of  about  100  persons.  The  story  told 
is,  that  a  labourer,  living  close  to  Tibago,  produced  a  tiny 
bamboo  stem,  the  open  end  of  which  was  stuffed  with  a 
twisted  leaf  of  milho  ;  on  extracting  this  some  small,  but 
good,  Diamonds  were  found  in  the  hollow  stem.  On  pur¬ 
suing  this  investigation  further,  most  of  the  workmen’s 
huts  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  mines  were 
found  to  have  some  such  stones  hidden  within  them  ;  but 
the  gems  were,  as  a  rule,  small,  hardly  ever  exceeding  one 
carat  in  weight. 

The  first  impression  conveyed  on  looking  at  the  mine 
is  that  it  resembles  a  common  gravel  pit,  dug  out  of  a  hill  ; 
but,  on  closer  observation,  heaps  of  yellow  unwashed  earth 
are  seen  on  the  level  bottom  of  the  pit,  outside  which  lie 
mounds  of  white  washed-out  refuse,  which  has  evidently 
been  submitted  to  the  action  of  water  and  sifting. 

The  undue  expense  of  working  the  mine  was  occa¬ 
sioned  by  the  thin  horizontal  beds  of  gravel,  which  consti¬ 
tute  the  Diamond-bearing  strata,  being  so  deep  below  the 
surface ;  and  the  facility  which  the  workers  had  of  secreting 
the  Diamonds  ordinarily  found,  rendered  the  results  of 
work  unprofitable.  Although  the  finer  are  far  richer  in 
the  number  of  their  Diamonds  than  the  coarser  strata,  the 
people  of  Tibago  seem  to  have  unwisely  neglected  the 
coarse  gravel  in  their  washings.  The  mines  in  this  district 
of  South  Brazil  still  labor  under  a  bad  name,  although 
some  practical  geologists  allege  that  the  country  in  the 
immediate  neighbourhood  of  Tibago  is  rich  in  Diamonds. 


i  r  2 


Brasilian  Diamonds. 


The  most  important  district  of  the  deposits  of  Dia¬ 
mond-bearing  gravels  lies  between  i6°  and  26°  south  lati¬ 
tude,  including  the  Provinces  of  Minas-Geraes  and  St. 
Paulo,  the  conditions  of  which  are  almost  identical  with 
the  gold-bearing  alluvium  of  Borneo  and  the  Urals. 

From  the  defiles  of  Itambe,  the  loftiest  mountain  of 
this  district,  the  Copivary  and  Jequetinhonha,  rich  in  Dia¬ 
monds,  take  their  rise.  In  the  first  of  these  a  Diamond 
was  found  a  few  years  ago  of  about  9  carats  weight.  There 
occur  in  this  district,  in  constant  companionship  with  the 
Diamond,  rounded  fragments  of  clear  transparent  quartz, 
beside  fragments  of  a  very  hard,  thick,  red  ironstone,  and  of 
black  Lydian  stone,  varying  from  the  size  of  a  hazel  nut 
to  that  of  a  pigeon’s  egg.  The  natives  give  to  this  last 
the  name  of  “  Feijao,”  from  its  likeness  to  the  common 
black  bean,  and  always  hail  its  presence  in  the  gravel  with 
pleasure,  as  with  it  are  found  other  precious  stones  beside 
the  Diamond,  such  as  White  and  Blue  Topaz,  Spinel, 
Garnet,  and  Lazulite.  Some  wonderfully  beautiful  speci¬ 
mens  of  Chrysoberyl  are  also  found  in  the  Diamond  sands 
of  Brazil,  of  yellow,  parsley-green,  and  sky-blue  colors, 
and  with  them  beautiful  specimens  of  rose-colored  and 
sea-green  quartz.  With  the  Diamonds  of  Bahia  is  found 
an  impure,  black,  grey,  or  brown  crystallized  carbon,  known 
in  commerce  as  Carbonado ,  and  highly  valued  for  mount¬ 
ing  in  the  steel  drill-heads  used  for  Diamond-boring— a 
purpose  for  which  neither  crystalline  Diamond  nor  bort 
is  applicable. 

The  supply  of  Diamonds  greatly  increased  in  the 
early  part  of  this  century,  by  the  discovery  of  new  and 
richer  mines  in  the  province  of  Bahia,  the  stones  of  which 
are  called  in  commerce  Bahias.  The  yield  from  these 
mines,  although  considerable  in  quantity,  is  defective  in 
size,  and  inferior  in  average  quality.  The  proportion  of 


Brazilian  Diamonds. 


H3 

pure  stones  is  less,  and  of  the  “  off-colored  ”  varieties 
greater,  than  is  the  produce  of  other  mines  ;  neverthe¬ 
less,  the  exceptionally  fine  stones  are  as  beautiful  as  any 
hitherto  discovered  elsewhere. 

In  1772  the  Government  first  worked  the  mines  on 
its  own  account.  Rich  as  the  find  was,  the  cost  was  enor¬ 
mous,  for  every  carat  weight  of  Diamonds  cost  the  Govern¬ 
ment  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  shillings. 

The  profit  made  in  Minas-Geraes  has  been  very  con¬ 
siderable.  In  the  first  twenty  years  144,000  carats  of  Dia¬ 
monds  were  found  annually.  Up  to  1850  the  Province  of 
Minas-Geraes  had  yielded  about  5,844,000  carats  of  Dia¬ 
monds,  valued  at  .£9,000,000.  If,  in  addition  to  this,  we 
consider  the  contraband  trade  at  the  beginning  of  this  cen¬ 
tury,  estimated  at  £'2,000,000,  the  worth  of  the  Diamonds 
found  in  Minas-Geraes  would  be  about  £11,000,000.  The 
Diamonds  from  these  mines  differ  from  those  of  the  Bahia 
mines  in  shape  and  color.  The  form  of  the  stones  is  more 
regular,  while  the  color  is  more  uniform  in  its  greenish  tints, 
and  less,  if  at  all,  vitiated  by  any  yellow  reflection. 

Diamonds  have  been  found  also  in  other  parts  of 
Brazil,  especially  in  the  inland  provinces. 

In  the  dry  season  of  the  year  the  Diamond-bearing 
sand  is  washed  in  large  basins  under  water,  until  the  prac¬ 
tised  eye  discovers  the  stones.  Formerly,  as  many  as 
fourteen  or  fifteen  Diamonds  were  often  found  in  a  single 
basin. 

The  Paraguay  and  its  many  tributaries  carry  down 
gold  and  Diamonds.  During  the  dry  season,  from  April 
to  the  middle  of  October,  when  the  depth  of  the  river  is 
much  diminished,  the  water  is  drawn  off  into  a  canal,  and 
the  mud  of  the  river  bed  is  dug  out  to  a  depth  of  six  to 
ten  feet,  and  carried  to  a  place  where  it  can  be  washed  by 
the  negroes  during  the  wet  season.  In  digging  out  the 

H 


Brazilian  Diamonds. 


114 

mud,  large  holes  are  often  found  containing  many  Dia¬ 
monds  and  much  gold.  When  the  wet  season  stops  the 
digging,  the  scene  of  action  is  the  “washing  huts.” 
Washing  troughs  (canoes)  are  placed  side  by  side,  and 
the  overseer  has  a  raised  seat,  so  as  to  be  able  to  observe 
all  the  negroes  at  work.  Every  trough  has  its  little  stream 
of  water,  and  a  negro  keeps  the  contents  in  constant 
motion  until  the  mud  has  been  washed  away  and  the 
water  is  quite  clear.  Then  the  sand  and  fine  gravel  are 
taken  in  the  hand  and  searched  for  Diamonds.  If  one 
is  found,  the  negro  stands  upright  and  knocks  as  a  signal 
for  the  overseer,  who  takes  the  Diamond  from  him,  and 
lays  it  in  a  vessel  filled  with  water,  which  hangs  in  the 
middle  of  the  shed.  When  the  day’s  work  is  over,  the 
contents  of  this  vessel  are  taken  by  the  overseer,  and 
their  weight  entered  in  a  book. 

Large  Diamonds  are  very  rarely  found.  It  has  been 
estimated  that  in  ten  thousand  specimens  rarely  more  than 
one  weighing  twenty  carats  is  met  with,  while  possibly 
eight  thousand  of  one  carat,  or  less,  may  be  discovered. 
At  the  works  of  the  Jequetinhonha  River,  during  a  year’s 
labor,  only  two  or  three  stones  have  been  found  varying 
from  seventeen  to  twenty  carats,  and  in  the  whole  of  the 
works  in  Brazil,  for  the  space  of  two  years,  not  more  than 
one  of  thirty  carats  was  found.  In  1851  a  Diamond 
weighing  i2o|  carats  was  discovered  at  the  source  of  the 
Patrocinho  River,  in  the  province  of  Minas-Geraes. 

Somewhat  later,  on  the  Rio-das-Velhas,  the  laborers 
found  a  stone  of  107  carats  weight,  and  in  Chapada 
one  of  87J  carats,  The  largest,  however,  which  has 
been  discovered  of  late)  years  is  that  called  the  “  Star  of 
the  South,’’  which  weighed  254J  carats  before  it  was  cut. 

There  are  many  laws  and  regulations  to  prevent  the 
negroes  concealing  and  smuggling  Diamonds.  As  a  means 


Brazilian  Diamonds. 


IIS 

of  encouraging  honesty,  if  a  negro  finds  a  large  stone, 
he  is  crowned  with  a  wreath  of  flowers,  led  in  procession 
to  the  manager,  and  his  freedom  is  bestowed  upon  him. 
If  a  negro  finds  a  Diamond  from  eight  to  ten  carats 
weight,  he  receives  two  new  shirts,  a  suit  of  clothes,  a 
hat,  and  a  handsome  knife.  For  smaller,  but  valuable 
stones,  other  rewards  are  given. 

For  unfaithfulness  the  negroes  are  beaten  with  sticks, 
or  have  iron  bands  fastened  round  their  throats ;  and  on 
repetition  of  the  fault  they  are  not  admitted  to  the  works 
again.  Notwithstanding  all  these  rewards  and  punish¬ 
ments,  one-third  of  the  produce  is  supposed  to  be  surrep¬ 
titiously  disposed  of  by  the  laborers.  Manifold  are  the 
tricks  used  by  the  negroes  to  appropriate  and  barter  the 
gems  they  discover.  In  the  very  presence  of  the  overseers 
they  manage  to  conceal  them  in  their  hair,  their  mouths, 
their  ears,  or  between  their  fingers  ;  not  unfrequently  they 
will  throw  them  away,  and  return  for  them  at  the  dead  of 
night. 

The  discovery  of  these  Precious  Stones  in  1746  proved 
a  great  curse  to  the  poor  inhabitants  on  the  banks  of  the 
Diamond  rivers.  Scarcely  had  the  news  of  the  discovery 
reached  the  Government  ere  they  tried  to  secure  the  riches 
of  these  rivers  for  the  Crown.  To  effect  this  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  were  driven  away  from  their  homes  to  wild,  far-away 
places,  and  deprived  of  their  little  possessions  :  nature 
herself  seemed  to  take  part  against  them  ;  for  a  dreadful 
drought,  succeeded  by  a  violent  earthquake,  increased  their 
distress.  Many  of  them  perished,  but  those  who  lived  to 
return  were  benevolently  reinstated  in  their  rightful  pos¬ 
sessions.  Strange  to  say,  on  their  return  the  earth  seemed 
strewn  with  Diamonds.  After  a  heavy  shower  the  children 
would  find  gold  in  the  streets  and  in  the  brooks  which 
traversed  them,  and  would  often  take  home  three  or  four 


Brazilian  Diamonds. 


1 1 6 

carats  of  Diamonds.  One  negro  found  a  Diamond  at  the 
root  of  a  vegetable  in  his  garden.  Poultry,  in  picking  up 
their  food,  swallowed  Diamonds,  so  that  their  viscera 
required  searching  before  being  disposed  of. 

When  Diamonds  were  first  discovered  in  Bahia,  the 
old  capital  of  Brazil,  which  was  at  the  time  a  densely- 
populated  and  fruitful  province,  the  observant  and  intelli¬ 
gent  Portuguese  minister,  the  Marquis  de  Pombal,  forbade 
further  search,  as  he  feared  that  agriculture,  which  he 
justly  regarded  as  the  blessing  and  health  of  the  land, 
would  suffer. 

A  very  strange  history  is  connected  with  the  discovery 
of  Diamonds  in  Bahia.  An  intelligent  slave  from  Minas- 
Geraes,  keeping  his  master’s  flocks  in  that  province,  thought 
he  observed  a  similarity  between  the  soil  of  his  native  place 
and  that  of  Bahia.  He  sought  therefore  in  the  sand,  and 
soon  found  700  carats  of  Diamonds.  Fleeing  from  his 
master,  he  carried  these  with  him,  and  offered  them  for 
sale  in  a  distant  city.  Such  wealth  in  the  hands  of  a  slave 
caused  him  to  be  arrested,  but  he  would  not  betray  him¬ 
self.  The  master  to  whom  he  was  given  up  tried  to  get 
at  his  secret  by  cunning,  but  without  avail,  until  he  thought 
of  restoring  to  him  his  former  occupation  in  Bahia,  and 
watching  him.  As  soon  as  the  secret  was  known  num¬ 
bers  flocked  from  Minas- Geraes  and  other  parts  of  Brazil 
to  Bahia,  so  that  the  following  year  as  many  as  25,000 
people  were  occupied  in  seeking  Diamonds  there,  and 
the  amount  daily  secured  for  some  time  rose  to  1,450 
carats. 

The  number  of  Diamond-seekers  however,  gradually 
dwindled  to  between  five  and  six  thousand  ;  but  up  to  the 
end  of  the  year  1849  there  had  been  as  many  as  932,400 
carats  of  Diamonds  obtained  from  the  Chapada  of  Bahia, 
This  rich  field  is  about  eighty  miles  long  and  forty  miles 


Brazilian  Diamonds. 


u  7 

broad.  The  total  produce  from  the  entire  Brazil  Diamond 
district  was  calculated  up  to  the  year  1850  to  exceed 
10,000,000  carats.  In  the  year  1851  the  produce  appeared 
to  be  increasing  ;  but  in  1852  it  was  evidently  on  the  wane. 

The  estimated  value  of  Brazilian  Diamonds  from  1861 
to  1867  was  about  .£1,888,000.  Some  very  interesting 
information  has  been  given  by  the  German  traveller, 
Herr  von  Tschudi  concerning  the  Brazilian  Diamonds  ; 
and  we  may  consider  it  as  authentic,  because  he  him¬ 
self  visited  the  city  of  Diamantina,  in  the  province  of 
Minas-Geraes,  in  February,  1858.  He  observes:  “The 
pivot  on  which  Diamantina  turns  is  Diamonds.  I  was 
present  during  the  unexampled  commercial  crisis  which 
extended  from  town  to  town,  and  country  to  country, 
with  such  disastrous  consequences,  and  which  fell  with  the 
weight  of  an  avalanche  on  the  inhabitants  of  Diamantina. 
All  business  was  stopped,  and  Diamonds  fell  to  one-half 
the  price  they  reached  only  the  year  before.  I  have  taken 
much  trouble  to  obtain  an  accurate  statement  of  the 
present  position  (1859)  of  the  Diamond  trade  in  Brazil, 
and  for  that  purpose  have  consulted  the  best  authorities. 
The  Diamonds  of  Brazil  are  known  in  commerce  as  (1) 
Diamantina  Diamonds,  and  (2)  Cincora  Diamonds.  The 
latter  are  of  less  value  than  the  former,  because  they  are 
not  of  such  pure  water,  nor  of  so  good  a  shape.  In  Matto- 
Grosso  the  Diamonds  are  small,  but  of  the  purest  water, 
and  in  their  rough  state  have  a  peculiar  lustre,  which  is 
seen  in  none  other  of  the  Brazilian  Diamonds.” 

The  panic  described  by  Von  Tschudi  was  severe,  but 
it  is  very  doubtful  whether  any  panic  was  ever  equal  in 
extent  and  importance  to  that  caused  by  the  discovery  of 
the  riches  in  South  Africa,  which  occurred  in  the  year 
1868,  and  from  that  period  to  1873  caused  a  revolution  in 
the  Diamond  market.  For  a  year  or  two  after  this 


IIS 


Brazilian  Diamonds. 


discovery  of  the  South-African  gems,  the  Brazilian  Dia¬ 
monds  held  their  ground  in  the  market  ;  but  the  large 
returns  that  accompanied  the  introduction  of  the  Cape 
stones  soon  diverted  the  attention  of  the  trade  to  the 
latter,  and  traders  and  speculators  were  captivated  by  the 
Cape  discoveries.  The  diamond-cutters  of  Amsterdam,  for 
a  time,  preferred  cutting  them  to  any  other  stones. 

No  country  was  more  incredulous  about  the  prodigious 
yield  of  the  South  African  mines  than  Brazil,  and  this  per¬ 
versity  made  the  loss  disastrous  to  the  Brazilian  merchants, 
as  they  refused  to  receive  the  warnings  which  were  sent  them 
in  perfect  good  faith.  The  favor  bestowed  on  the  Cape 
Diamonds,  the  great  margin  of  profit  which  they  yielded, 
being  brought  to  market  by  all  kinds  of  holders  ignorant  of 
the  craft  of  theDiamond  trade,  and  of  the  real  value  of  the 
stones,  eventuated  in  the  Brazilian  Diamonds  being  more 
and  more  neglected  ;  and  as  the  difficulties  were  augmented 
by  the  predilection  of  Amsterdam  workmen,  so  the  neglect 
was  heightened,  and  a  depreciation  followed  greater  than 
that  which  the  prices  obtained  for  Cape  stones  justified. 

The  Cape  yield  of  large  stones  confirmed  the  Amster¬ 
dam  Diamond-cutters  in  their  opinion,  as  an  abundance  of 
large  stones  justified  the  general  rejection  of  the  small,  and 
these  latter  were  furnished  by  the  Brazil  merchants  in  every 
parcel  supplied  tojthe  market  by  them.  The  alternative  of 
sending  only  finer  specimens  to  the  practical  exclusion  of 
small  stones,  if  they  intended  seriously  to  enter  into  compe¬ 
tition  with  Cape  gems,  was  a  matter  of  anxious  concern  to 
them, not  because  the  Brazilian  Diamonds  had  deteriorated, 
in  beauty  or  in  quality,  but  because  the  exorbitant  price  at 
which  they  had  been  offered  for  sale  could  no  longer  be 
maintained.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that,  owing  to  the 
increasing  scarcity  of  stones,  the  working  of  the  mines  has 
become  barely  remunerative, 


CHAPTER  V. 

INDIAN  DIAMONDS. 


HE  Diamond  fields  of  India  have  been  cele¬ 
brated  from  remote  antiquity.  It  is  only  of 
late  years,  however,  that  our  knowledge  of 
the  geology  of  India  has  been  sufficiently 
advanced  to  enable  the  mineralogist  to  speak  with  even 
approximate  accuracy  as  to  the  nature  of  the  Diamond¬ 
bearing  rocks  of  that  country.  The  materials  accumulated 
by  the  geological  survey  have  recently  been  rendered 
accessible  to  the  public,  by  the  issue  of  an  admirable 
“  Manual,”  of  which  the  third  volume  is  devoted  to  Eco¬ 
nomic  Geology-— a  subject  which  Prof.  V.  Ball  has  treated 
with  great  ability.  In  that  volume  will  be  found  all  that 
is  at  present  known  to  scientific  men  with  regard  to  the 
geological  conditions  under  which  the  Diamond  occurs  in 
India. 

The  Diamonds  of  India  are  generally  found  in  super¬ 
ficial  deposits  derived  from  the  disintegration  of  the  solid 
rocks.  Where  the  Precious  Stone  apparently  occurs  in 
situ ,  it  is  always  in  certain  rocks  belonging  to  the  great 
Vindhyan  formation ,  a  formation  which  derives  its  name 


sH^P I 

fiHl 


120 


Indian  Diamonds. 


from  the  Vindhyan  hills  of  the  old  geographers.  No 
trace  of  life  has  yet  been  found  in  the  Vindhyan  rocks, 
and  hence  nothing  can  be  said  about  their  age,  save  that 
they  are  of  very  great  geological  antiquity.  At  the  Panna 
mines,  Diamonds  have  been  found  embedded  in  a  conglo¬ 
merate  belonging  to  a  minor  division  of  the  Upper  Vind- 
hyans,  known  as  the  Rewah  group ;  but  this  conglomerate 
is  apparently  formed  of  materials  derived  from  the  older 
or  Lower  Vindhyan  series.  In  Southern  India  the  Lower 
Vindhyans  are  represented  by  the  Karnul  group ,  and  at 
the  very  base  of  this  formation  the  Diamond  is  found. 
Such  is  its  position,  for  example,  at  the  Banaganpilly 
Mines.  But  here  again  the  Diamond-rock  is  a  conglome¬ 
rate — that  is  to  say,  a  detrital  rock  made  up  of  pebbles 
derived  from  some  yet  older  rock.  Associated  with  these 
pebbles  are  the  Diamonds  ;  but  whence  the  Diamonds 
came,  from  what  rock  they  may  have  been  broken,  or  out 
of  what  matrix  they  may  have  been  washed,  no  man  can 
yet  say.  Science,  notwithstanding  all  that  has  been  done, 
has  not  as  yet  been  able  to  reach  the  primitive  matrix 
of  the  Indian  Diamond. 

The  extent  of  Diamond-bearing  alluvial  deposits  in 
India  suggested  to  Carl  Ritter  a  division  of  this  formation 
into  five  groups,  the  geological  condition  of  which  he  care¬ 
fully  noticed.  He  not  only  explains  the  topography  of 
these  districts,  but  gives  a  history  of  Diamond  mining, 
collated  after  careful  investigation  from  ancient  and 
modern  literature. 

From  his  writings  we  select  some  passages.  Thus, 
referring  to  Heyne  and  Voysey,  Franklin  and  Adams,  he 
says,  “  They  are  agreed  that  where  there  is  a  layer  of 
alluvial  soil  it  is  superficial  only,  and  to  this  is  mixed,  or 
superadded,  a  conglomerate  of  rounded  pebbles,  together 
with  a  sandstone-breccia,  which  contains  the  Diamonds. 


Indian  Diamonds. 


121 


Further,  that  the  Diamonds  are  by  no  means  scattered 
throughout  this  conglomerate,  but  occur  only  in  one  par¬ 
ticular  stratum,  harder  than  the  rest,  and,  at  most,  only  one 
foot  thick,  and  this  is  so  throughout  the  whole  of  India 
wherever  the  Diamond  is  found.  Voysey,  who  calls  this 
rock  a  sandstone-breccia,  says  it  lies  under  a  firm  sand¬ 
stone  bed,  and  consists  of  a  fine  mass  of  fragments  of  red 
and  yellow  Jasper,  Quartz,  Chalcedony,  and  Hornblende 
of  different  colors,  bound  together  by  a  siliceous  cement, 
which  passes  into  a  looser  pudding-stone,  with  pebbles 
cemented  with  clay  or  marl,  and  this  is  characteristic  of 
the  Diamond-bed.” 

In  the  time  of  Mohammed  Ghori,  who  in  1186  was  the 
real  founder  of  the  Mohammedan  dominion  in  India,  the 
quantity  of  Diamonds  discovered  there  was  so  great  that 
he  left  in  his  treasury  at  his  death  Precious  Stones  to  the 
weight  of  400  lbs.  It  is  reported  he  obtained  them  exclu¬ 
sively  by  plunder.  Since  the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth 
century  these  have  been  dispersed  ;  and  at  the  finding  of 
the  celebrated  stone  called.  “  The  Great  Mogul,”  Diamonds 
began  to  obtain  a  high  price. 

There  are  three  extensive  districts  in  India  which 
have  yielded  Diamonds  on  a  large  scale.  Of  these 
the  most  famous  is  the  southernmost  improperly  termed 
the  Golconda  region,  the  old  fort  of  Golconda,  in 
Hyderabad,  being  far  distant.  It  includes  various 
mines  on  the  Kistna  and  Godaviri  rivers,  and  other 
localities  in  the  Madras  Presidency,  which  will  be 
noticed  in  detail  in  the  following  pages,  The  second 
great  tract  lies  in  the  Central  Provinces,  and  includes  the 
mines  of  Sumbulpur.  The  third  is  in  Bundelkhund, 
where  are  situated  the  Panna  mines. 

In  addition  to  these  principal  areas,  a  few  other 
localities  have  yielded  Diamonds.  They  have  been  found, 


122 


Indian  Diamonds. 


for  example,  in  the  province  of  Chutia  Nagpur  ;  in  the 
southern  Mahratta  country ;  and,  it  is  believed,  near 
Simla. 

An  account  of  the  Precious  Stones  of  India  has  been 
given  in  a  work  entitled  Mani  Mala ,  by  Rajah  Sourindro 
Mohun  Tagore,  published  at  Calcutta,  in  1879.  Although 
some  of  the  descriptions  given  are  hardly  scientific,  yet 
the  book  contains  much  that  is  interesting  with  respect  not 
only  to  the  history  of  Precious  Stones,  but  also  as  to  their 
localities.  The  following  list  gives  the  names  of  the  Indian 
localities  in  which  the  Diamond  is  said  to  occur,  with  the 
supposed  modern  equivalents  of  those  names  : — 

1.  Haima  (Himalayas). 

2.  Matanga  (Kistna  and  Godaviri  or  Golconda). 

3.  Saurashtra  (Surat). 

4.  Paunda  (probably  included  the  Chutia  Nagpur 

localities). 

5.  Kalinga  (countries  between  Orissa  and  the  Goda¬ 

viri). 

6.  Kosala  (the  modern  Ajodhya  or  Berar). 

7.  Vena  Ganga  (the  Wemganga). 

8.  Saubira  (the  tract  between  the  Sarhund  and  Indus 

rivers). 

The  most  southern  group  of  the  Diamond  strata 
begins  at  the  environs  of  Cuddapah,  or  Kadapah,  on  the 
Pennar.  Here  for  many  hundred  years  Diamonds  have 
been  met  with  in  various  quantities.  They  are  found  in 
many  places  contiguous  to  each  other :  at  Chennur  or 
Chinon  ;  at  Cunnapurtee,  probably  the  same  locality  as 
that  described  by  Heyne  and  Newbold  as  Condapetta  ; 
and  at  Woblapally  and  Obalumpally. 

Near  Cuddapah  (475  feet  above  the  sea)  the  conglo¬ 
merate  is  superficial,  and  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  thick. 
The  mountain  rises  1,000  feet  higher  than  this  stratum, 


Indian  Diamonds. 


123 


and  its  foot  is  everywhere  covered  with  loose  pebbles. 
The  beds  follow  each  other  in  the  following  order :  upper¬ 
most  a  foot  and  a-half  of  sand,  grit,  and  loam  ;  then  a 
tough  blue  or  black  muddy  earth,  without  any  stones, 
four  feet  thick  ;  under  this  comes  the  Diamond  bed, 
characterized  by  the  numerous  large  round  stones  em¬ 
bedded  in  it.  It  is  from  two  to  two  and  a-half  feet 
thick,  and  consists  of  pebbles  and  grit  bound  together  by 
loam. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Ellora  this  layer  is  covered 
with  a  thick  calcareous  tufa.  The  stones  are  of  various 
kinds,  and  the  Diamond  seekers  give  them  special  names : 
1st,  “Telia  Bendu,”  white,  earthy,  subangular ;  2nd, 
Transparent  quartz,  yellowish  ;  3rd,  Pistacite  ;  4th,  “  Gajja 
Bendu,”  red,  blue,  and  brown  Jasper  pebbles  ;  5th,  “  Karla,” 
basaltic  pebbles ;  6th,  Sandstone,  with  ochreous  crust  ; 
7th,  “  Kanna,”  rounded  ironstone,  about  the  size  of  a  hazel 
nut,  which  constitutes  the  most  important  pebble  bed  in 
the  Obalumpally  Mines  ;  8th,  Corundum.  In  the  more 
northern  Diamond  pits,  at  Pastal,  near  Ellora,  on  the 
Lower  Kistna,  pebbles  of  Chalcedony  and  Carnelian  also 
occur. 

At  Cuddapah  large  blocks  of  hornblendic  rock, 
mostly  derived  from  the  neighbouring  mountain  chain, 
constitute  the  chief  mass  of  the  Diamond  bed. 

The  Obalumpally  mines,  also  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Pennar,  are  only  a  few  hours’  journey  west  of  Cuddapah. 
The  Diamond  bed  here  seems  to  follow  the  course  of  the 
river,  and  is  of  varying  width.  Here  the  Diamonds 
always  occur  in  more  rounded  crystals.  Those  found  still 
further  west  are  the  best. 

The  Hindoos  divide  Diamonds  into  four  classes, 
according  to  their  castes.  1st,  Brahma ,  clear  and  of  “  pure 
water.”  2nd,  Ckedra,  clear  and  of  the  color  of  honey. 


124 


Indian  Diamonds. 


3rd,  Vysea,  cream-colored.  4th,  Sudra,  a  greyish- white. 
The  Sudras  are  the  Diamond  seekers  who  carry  on  their 
work  without  inspection,  and  pride  themselves  on  their 
honesty.  The  pits  which  they  dig  are  square  excavations, 
not  more  than  sixteen  feet  deep. 

Among  the  Diamond-bearing  localities  in  the  district 
round  Bellary  may  be  mentioned  Munimadagu,  Wajra 
Karur,  and  Guti  or  Gutidrug.  At  the  north  end  of  the 
table-land,  extending  on  the  west  side  of  the  Nalla-Malla 
hills,  as  far  as  the  town  of  Randial  (672  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea),  lies  another  group  of  mines.  The  Dia¬ 
mond  beds  here  are  only  about  a  foot  thick,  and  both  the 
over  and  underlying  beds  are  more  pebbly  than  in  the  first 
group. 

Most  of  the  Diamonds  of  this  district  lie  loose  in 
the  dlbris.  There  is  an  erroneous  impression  among  the 
poor  miners  that  the  Diamonds  grow  in  and  about  the 
huge  fragments  of  the  crust  of  the  earth  which  has  been 
heaved  and  broken  up.  Among  the  natives  of  the  Madras 
Presidency,  there  exists  a  curious  belief  that  the  rock- 
crystal,  which  occurs  in  the  diamantiferous  ground,  will 
become  Diamond  when  impregnated  with  electricity  by  the 
action  of  lightning.  Voysey  found  about  these  mines  at 
least  a  dozen  parties,  each  consisting  of  seven  or  eight 
men,  working  in  their  own  lot  or  particular  heap.  He 
describes  them  as  mostly  of  the  lowest  class — poor,  miser¬ 
able  creatures,  with  little  government,  and  with  no  super¬ 
intendent  to  direct  or  regulate  their  labor.  In  the  rainy 
season  the  miners  work  in  the  Diamond  pits  on  the  heights, 
and  when  the  floods  are  over,  in  the  low-lying  mines  by 
Kistna.  Most  of  the  Indian  Diamond  miners  belong  to 
the  aboriginal  tribes,  their  trade  being  hereditary.  The 
Panna  mines  were  worked  formerly  by  Gonds  or  Kols, 
and  though  some  of  the  miners  of  Southern  India  are  said 


Indian  Diamonds. 


125 


to  be  Hindus,  and  others  are  simply  described  as  low  out¬ 
casts,  yet  they  all  probably  are  descended  from  the  same 
Dravidian  family. 

The  Diamond  district  of  Banaganpilly  lies  five 
hours’  journey  west  of  Randial,  surrounded  by  lofty 
plateaus,  or  flat-topped  mountains,  whose  sides  admit 
of  cultivation.  B.  Heyne  alleges  that  the  mines  are 
found  in  the  cone-shaped  mountains,  varying  from  one  to 
two  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  that  the  Diamonds  are 
found  at  a  depth  of  about  twenty  feet  from  the  surface. 
Voysey,  who  lived  later  than  Heyne,  asserts,  in  rectification 
of  this  statement,  that,  for  many  years  past,  it  is  only 
in  the  broken-up  crust  that  the  Diamonds  are  found. 

Mr.  King,  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  visited 
these  mines  at  a  recent  date,  and  described  the  Diamond - 
layer  as  a  clayey  conglomerate  containing  pebbles  and 
fragments  of  shale,  chert,  and  quartzite.  This  “gangue  is 
pounded  up,  mashed,  sifted,  and  laid  out  to  dry  on  pre¬ 
pared  floors,  after  which  the  residue  of  clean  sand  is 
carefully  examined  in  the  hand  by  the  women  and  children 
of  the  working  parties,  for  the  precious  gems.”  These 
gems,  however,  are  evidently  very  rare,  for  Mr.  King  could 
not  hear  of  a  single  stone  being  found  during  his  stay  of 
four  or  five  days  at  the  mines. 

Many  other  Diamond-bearing  localities  are  known  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Karnul,  but  in  most  cases  the 
workings  are  now  deserted.  In  the  valley  of  the  Kistna, 
or  Krishna,  there  are  numerous  spots  in  which  Diamonds 
have  been  worked,  especially  at  Kollur,  which  was  pro¬ 
bably  the  Gani  Coulour  of  Tavernier;  and  at  Parteal,  or 
Gani  Parteal.  In  fact,  the  localities  in  the  Kistna  and 
Godaviri  valleys  constitute  the  famous  Golconda  district , 
which  has  yielded  the  great  historical  Diamonds  of 
India.  It  must  be  distinctly  understood,  however,  that  no 


126 


India7i  Diamonds. 


Diamonds  have  ever  been  found  at  Golconda  itself.  Gol¬ 
conda,  the  former  capital  of  the  district,  was  simply  the 
commercial  centre,  where  the  Diamonds  were  bought  and 
sold,  and  at  the  present  day  the  only  representative  of  the 
world-famed  Golconda,  is  a  deserted  fort  near  Hyderabad. 

When  Tavernier  visited  the  district  in  1669,  there 
were  as  many  as  twenty  mines  at  work,  but  now  all,  except 
two  or  three,  have  been  forsaken,  and  even  the  names  by 
which  Tavernier  knew  them  have  become  obsolete,  and 
not  without  difficulty  can  their  situations  be  identified. 
The  most  famous  of  these  named  “  Gani  ”  by  the  natives, 
but  “  Colore  ”  by  the  Persians,  gave  employment  in 
Tavernier’s  time,  to  60,000  workmen.  Prof.  Valentin 
Ball  has  brought  forward  strong  evidence  to  shew  that 
Tavernier’s  “  Gani  Coulour”  is  identical  with  the  modern 
town  of  “  Kollur  ” — the  word  Gani  being  a  corruption  of 
Kau-i ,  or  “mine  of;”  so  that  “Gani  Coulour”  meant 
simply  the  “  Mine  of  Coulour,”  just  as  “  Gani  Parteal  ”  is 
the  “  Mine  of  Parteal.”  Prof.  Ball  also  seeks  to  identify 
Tavernier’s  famous  locality  of  Raulconda,  where  the  old 
traveller  saw  Diamond-cutting  carried  on  in  the  mine 
itself,  with  a  town  called  Rawdu  Konda. 

The  Diamonds  found  at  Gani  Coulour  were  dis¬ 
tinguished  for  their  number  and  size  ;  but,  except  in  rare 
instances,  they  were  deficient  in  purity  and  clearness. 
The  largest  and  most  celebrated  found  in  this  mine  is  that 
described  by  Tavernier  as  the  “  Great  Mogul.”  In  its 
rough  state  it  weighed  787^  carats,  but  was  reduced  by 
cutting  to  279T9g  carats. 

Near  Coulour  there  is  mentioned  by  Tavernier  a 
locality  which  produced  inadamanline  Diamonds,  whose 
brittleness  led  to  great  disappointment,  and  eventually 
induced  the  authorities  to  close  the  mine. 

Tavernier  also  gives  an  account  of  the  Diamond-mining 


Indian  Diamonds. 


127 


operations'  at  Con! our,  and  relates  how  a  mine  was  dis¬ 
covered  by  a  countryman,  who,  digging  to  sow  some 
millet,  found  a  pointed  stone  weighing  about  twenty-five 
carats.  Not  knowing  what  it  was,  he  took  it  to  Golconda, 
where  he  showed  it  to  a  trader  in  Diamonds,  who,  recog¬ 
nizing  its  value,  enquired  as  to  the  locality  where  it  was 
found.  The  report  of  a  Diamond  mine  made  a  great 
sensation  in  the  country,  and  the  influential  men  of  the 
town  caused  the  ground  to  be  worked.  They  were  well 
rewarded  for  their  trouble,  by  the  discovery  of  large  stones, 
averaging  from  ten  to  forty  carats  each,  and  sometimes 
even  larger— among  the  rest  that  fine  stone,  weighing 
900  ratis,  which  Mirgimola  presented  to  Shah  J.ehan. 

The  mines  between  six  and  seven  hours’ .  journey 
W.S.W.  of  li  flora,  were  visited  by  Heyne  in  1795,  and  are 
known  as  the  “  Mallivully,”  so  called  from  one  of  the  seven 
villages  of  that  name,  inhabited  by  miners. 

The  plain,  on  which  the  villages  round  about  Malli¬ 
vully  lie,  is  -on  all  sides  surrounded  by  granite  rock.  The 
average  depth  of  the  alluvium  in  which  the  Diamonds  are 
found  is  twenty  feet.  This  alluvial  deposit  extends  along 
the  banks  of  the  Kistna  for  the  distance  of  about  two  or 
three  hours’  walk. 

The  change  from  a  grey  to  a  red  soil,  consisting  of 
weather-worn  granitic  gravel,  is  here  distinctly  seen.  The 
upper  layer  consists  of  the  black  “  Cotton  soil  ”  brought 
down  from  the  higher  grounds  by  floods.  Beneath  this 
layer  lies  a  mass  of  fragments  of  sandstone,  quartz,  jasper, 
flint,  and  granite,  with  great  amorphous  masses  of  calca¬ 
reous  conglomerate,  but  destitute  of  any  indication  of  their, 
having  been  rolled  there  by  water.  It  is  in  this  stratum 
that  the  Diamond  is  found,  together  with  other  Precious 
Stones. 

None  of  the  mines  about  Mallivully  or  Golapally  are 


128 


Indian  Diamonds. 


now  worked.  The  locality  known  as  Parteal  or  Gani- 
Parteal,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Kistna,  has  been  regarded 
by  some  authorities  as  the  original  home  of  many  of  the 
grandest  historical  stones,  such  as  the  “  Koh-i-Nur,”  and 
the  famous  “Pitt”  or  “Regent”  Diamond. 

The  Diamond  district  of  the  Sumbulpur  or  Sambal- 
pur  group,  north  of  the  Godaviri,  extends  to  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  Sumbulpur,  a  city  built  on  a  fruitful  alluvial 
table-land,  385  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  situated 
between  the  rivers  of  Mahanuddy  and  Brahmini. 

The  Precious  Stones  which  are  found  at  the  mouths 
of  the  little  tributaries  of  the  Maund,  flowing  from  the 
north-east,  are  of  various  sizes  and  of  purest  quality. 

Although  Diamonds  are  rarely,  if  ever,  now  found  in 
Sumbulpur,  it  is  interesting  to  preserve  the  description  of 
the  old  Diamond-washers  in  the  days  of  the  rajahs. 

In  Sumbulpur  the  Diamond  seekers  were  of  two 
castes.  They  resembled  Negroes  rather  than  Hindoos, 
and  received  the  names  of  Ihara  and  Tora.  Sixteen 
villages  of  the  poorest  kind  were  given  up  to  them  as  free 
Jaghirs  ;  ten  being  occupied  by  the  Iharas  and  four  by 
the  Toras,  the  remaining  two  being  dedicated  to  their 
gods. 

These  people  were  naturally  superstitious.  Nicolo 
Conti,  who  travelled  in  India  in  the  early  part  of  the  15th 
century,  gives  some  very  questionable  stories  as  to  a 
Diamond- producing  mountain,  and  the  means  by  which 
they  were  procured.  It  is  also  believed  that  sacrifices 
were  made  upon  the  opening  of  a  new  Diamond  mine, 
and  credulous  travellers  in  those  early  days,  might  possibly 
have  supposed  that  these  sacrificial  rites  were  essential  to 
the  successful  search  for  Diamonds. 

The  Diamond  seekers  with  their  families,  numbering 
from  4000  to  5000  persons,  migrated  yearly  ;  and  from 


Indian  Diamonds. 


129 


November  to  the  commencement  of  the  rainy  season 
searched  the  bed  of  the  Mahanuddy  River  from  Chunder- 
pur  to  Sonepur,  a  distance  of  twenty-four  miles,  scruti¬ 
nizing  every  cleft  and  corner  for  the  Precious  Stones. 
They  carried  with  them  only  three  tools,  a  pickaxe,  a 
board  five  feet  long,  hollowed  in  the  middle  and  provided 
with  a  raised  border  three  inches  high,  and  a  second 
board  about  half  the  size. 

With  the  pickaxe  they  scraped  the  earth  out  of  the 
clefts  and  holes,  and  piled  it  in  heaps  on  the  bank.  Their 
women  laid  the  earth  on  the  larger  board,  slightly  inclined, 
washed  it  with  water,  and  removed  all  the  rougher  sand 
and  pebbles,  which  were  subsequently  placed  on  the  smaller 
board,  spread  out,  and  searched  for  Precious  Stones  and 
gold  dust.  The  Diamond  was  found  for  the  most  part  in 
a  mass  of  tough,  reddish  clay,  pebbles,  a  little  sand,  and 
some  iron  oxide.  This  seems  to  be  the  debris  of  the  same 
stone  “  breccia  ”  as  that  which  Voysey  supposed  to  be 
Diamond-rock  in  the  Pennar  and  the  Kistna  groups.  The 
washers  of  Sumbulpur  now  rarely,  if  ever,  find  Diamonds 
with  the  alluvial  gold. 

Another  method  of  obtaining  the  Diamond  is  to 
form  a  flat  surface  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  place 
where  the  Precious  Stones  are  to  be  sought,  and  build 
round  it  a  wall  two  feet  high,  leaving  here  and  there 
openings  for  the  water  to  run  off.  The  earth  which  has 
been  worked  out  by  means  of  the  pickaxe,  is  thrown  into 
this  extemporized  well,  and  after  two  or  three  washings 
the  large  stones  are  removed,  the  residue  dried,  and  the 
Diamonds  sought  for.  From  time  immemorial  the  Dia¬ 
monds  found  in  this  district  have  been  claimed  by  the 
ruler  as  his  right.  The  finder  of  large  Diamonds  is  re¬ 
warded  by  the  royal  grant  of  one  or  more  small  villages. 
For  smaller  Diamonds  there  are  other  rewards  ;  but  for  the 

I 


13° 


Indian  Diamonds. 


concealment  of  Precious  Stones  the  natives  are  punished 
by  having  their  villages  taken  from  them,  and  are  subject 
also  to  corporal  punishment.  In  spite  of  this,  and 
threatenings  of  severer  penalties,  smuggling  and  conceal¬ 
ment  continue. 

Since  the  year  1 8 1 8,  Sumbulpur  has  been  under 
British  rule.  In  that  year  a  Diamond  was  found  which 
weighed  21  carats,  and  although  of  only  the  third  quality 
was  sold  for  5,000  rupees. 

In  the  Chanda  district,  to  the  south-east  of  Nagpur, 
are  the  old  Diamond  mines  of  Waviagarh. 

Another  group  of  Diamond-beds  is  near  Bengal, 
Bahar,  and  Allahabad,  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Ganges. 
South  of  this  mighty  river  there  runs  almost  in  the  same 
direction  a  vast  range  of  lofty  tableland,  sandstone  upon 
granite,  extending  150  miles  from  east  to  west.  In  the 
eastern  part  of  the  lofty  tableland  no  indications  have 
yet  been  discovered  of  the  existence  of  the  Diamond, 
although  there  was  a  mine  mentioned  by  Tavernier, 
which  probably  lay  somewhere  to  the  south  of  this 
range.  In  another  division  of  this  sandstone  belt,  at 
its  western  extremity,  limited  to  an  area  of  a  very  few 
miles,  is  a  plot  which  has  been  famous  since  the  time  of 
Ptolemy  for  its  Diamonds. 

The  Diamond-diggings  in  the  immediate  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  Panna  (or  Punnah)  have  been  ably  described  by 
Mr.  Medlicott,  the  director  of  the  Geological  Survey  of 
India.  They  do  not  cover  an  area  of  more  than  20  acres. 
Great  pits,  2 5  feet  in  diameter  and  perhaps  30  feet  in  depth, 
are  dug  for  the  sake  of  reaching  the  Diamond-conglome¬ 
rate,  which  in  many  cases  is  not  more  than  a  span  in 
thickness.  The  miners  enter  the  pit  by  means  of  inclined 
planes,  and  work  almost  naked  and  knee-deep  in  water. 
The  material  which  they  dig  up  is  put  into  baskets  and 


Indian  Diamonds , 


131 

hauled  by  manual  labour  to  the  surface,  where  it  is  care¬ 
fully  searched  for  Diamonds.  The  most  productive  Dia¬ 
mond  mines  in  this  group  were,  in  i860,  to  be  found  in 
the  village  of  Sukariuh,  about  twenty  miles  from  Panna. 
Here  the  upper  stratum,  from  15  to  20  feet  thick,  had 
to  be  broken  through  in  order  to  reach  the  rich  Diamond- 
bed  which  lay  concealed  underneath. 

Four  kinds  of  Diamonds  were  found  at  Sukariuh. 
They  were  termed,  1st,  Motichul ,  clear  and  brilliant;  2nd, 
Manik,  verging  in  tint  towards  green  ;  3rd,  Panna,  with  a 
faint  orange  tint ;  4th,  Bunsput ,  sepia  colored. 

Diamonds  are  found  under  the  cascade  of  the  river 
Bagin,  from  700  to  900  feet  below  the  present  Diamond 
strata ;  and  the  only  explanation  hitherto  given  is  that 
the  Bagin  has  brought  these  Precious  Stones  down  from 
the  table-land,  with  other  matter  torn  from  its  native  bed. 

It  is  not  needful  to  pursue  further  the  instructive 
geological  and  geographical  topics  which  lie  before  us  in 
reference  to  the  Diamonds  of  India.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
that  some  interesting  remarks  have  been  recently  pub¬ 
lished  upon  the  correlation  of  the  Vindyhan  rocks  of 
India,  with  certain  series  occurring  in  South  Africa.  It  is 
within  the  limits  of  probability  that  the  original  matrix 
of  the  Cape  Diamonds  may  belong  to  a  geological  forma¬ 
tion  on  the  same  horizon  with  that  which  includes  the 
Indian  Diamond. 

Diamond-mining  in  India  under  European  manage¬ 
ment  does  not  appear  hitherto  to  have  been  successful. 
How  far  this  is  owing  to  the  petty  scale  on  which  the 
operations  have  been  conducted,  it  is  impossible  to  say. 
It  is,  however,  erroneous  to  suppose  that  there  is  any  real 
exhaustion  of  the  localities  where  mining  is  possible.  On 
the  contrary,  geological  examination  has  proved  that  the 
Diamond-bearing  strata  are  very  widely  distributed  ;  it  is 


132 


Indian  Diamonds. 


doubtful,  however,  whether  the  same  working  operations 
are  carried  on  in  the  more  remote  districts  as  in  those 
nearer  home.  In  fact,  Diamond-mining  will  never  be  a 
success  in  India  until  the  Government  is  prepared  to  grant 
long  leases  for  the  working,  so  as  to  enable  the  capitalist 
to  get  back  money  spent  in  machinery,  without  which  no 
mine  can  be  properly  worked.  It  is  not  to  be  expected 
that  men  will  invest  money  without  a  prospect  of  recoup¬ 
ing  themselves. 

Viewing  it  in  the  most  favorable  light,  Diamond¬ 
mining  cannot  be  considered  as  likely  to  offer  a  rapid 
road  to  fortune  ;  nevertheless,  for  those  who  are  contented 
with  a  slowly  paying  occupation  and  a  hard  life,  it  would 
no  doubt  be  remunerative,  provided  the  adventurer  exer¬ 
cised  close  personal  supervision  and  possessed  a  fair 
amount  of  capital. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
BORNEO  DIAMONDS. 


OTWITHSTANDING  all  that  has  been 
written  on  the  mineral  resources  of  Borneo 
in  the  scientific  journals  of  Holland,  our 
knowledge  of  the  conditions  under  which 
Diamonds  are  found  in  this  island  is  still  far  from  satis¬ 
factory.  It  has  long  been  known  that  Diamonds  occur 
at  Landak  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Pontianak,  in 
the  western  part  of  Borneo ;  but  the  recent  workings  are 
chiefly  situated  in  the  southern  and  eastern  districts  of 
the  island.  In  Koesan  Diamonds  were  discovered  about 
the  year  1820,  and,  according  to  Dr.  J.  H.  Croockewit, 
who  visited  the  workings,  they  occur  in  a  dark  red 
loam,  associated  with  fragments  of  red  sand-stone  and 
quartz.  When  Mr.  J.  C.  J.  Smits  was  at  the  Diamond- 
diggings  at  Wauwaan,  on  the  right  side  of  the  river 
Koesan,  in  1852,  he  found  about  150  persons  following 
this  industry. 


134 


Borneo  Diamonds. 


Of  late  years  the  best  known  Diamond  locality  in 
Borneo  seems  to  be  the  neighbourhood  of  Martapoera, 
where  the  Precious  Stones  occur  in  association  with  gold, 
platinum,  and  black  Tourmaline.  Pits  are  dug  in  the 
Diamond-bearing  gravels  to  a  depth  of  from  four  to  six 
feet,  passing  through  a  strata  of  pebbles,  sand,  and  clay, 
with  scales  of  mica,  and  fragments  of  blue  and  bluish- 
grey  quartz,  known  locally  as  batoe  tatimahan.  The 
Diamonds  are  either  colorless  or  of  various  tints — yellow, 
green,  and  even  black  ;  the  most  highly  prized  being  those 
which  present  a  faint  shade  of  blue,  known  to  the  Malays 
as  ajer-laut,  or  “sea-water.”  The  Diamonds  are  cut  and 
polished  near  Martapoera. 

In  the  south-eastern  point  of  Borneo,  Tanah  Laut 
(or  Lake  Land)  ends  the  chain  of  mountains  which  run 
parallel  to,  and  on  the  east  of,  the  large  River  Bandjer- 
masin. 

The  most  southern  portion  of  the  mountain  is  known 
by  the  name  of  the  Ratoos  Range.  Its  highest  point,  3,168 
feet  above  the  sea  level,  is  for  the  most  part  composed 
of  serpentine,  diorite,  and  greenstone.  The  Diamond  mines 
are  all  on  the  west  side  of  the  Ratoos.  The  soil,  mostly 
red  clay,  is  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  deep  ;  below  that, 
for  about  six  feet,  is  a  gravel  or  shingle  of  serpentine, 
diorite,  and  quartz,  interbedded  sometimes  with  marl, 
in  which  are  found  certain  species  of  mollusc  still  existing 
in  the  neighbouring  ocean.  The  Diamonds,  accom¬ 
panied  by  magnetite,  are  found  in  a  sand-bed  resting 
on  serpentine.  The  surest  indications  of  the  presence  of 
Diamonds  are  little  pieces  of  black  quartz,  containing 
iron-pyrites,  and  flakes  of  platinum.  In  this  south¬ 
eastern  province  alone,  400  people  are  occupied  in  Dia¬ 
mond  washing.  The  workings  being  situated  for  the  most 
part  near  to  the  shore,  are  liable  to  occasional  incursions 


Borneo  Diamonds. 


135 


of  the  sea,  which  is  naturally  a  source  of  much  trouble  to 
the  Diamond-diggers. 

The  largest  Borneo  Diamond  discovered  of  late  years 
was  found  in  1868  at  the  diggings  of  M.  Beretti  at 
Tjempaka.  It  weighed  in  the  rough  25  carats,  and  when 
cut  1 8^  carats. 

At  the  recent  International  Exhibition  at  Amsterdam 
(1883)  there  were  exhibited  several  Borneo  Diamonds, 
all  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Martapoera. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
COLORED  DIAMONDS. 


IAMONDS  occur  of  every  hue,  and,  according 
to  Mandeville,  “  seem  to  take  pleasure  in 
assuming  in  turns  the  colors  proper  to  other 
gems.”  The  Blue  or  Sapphire  tint  is,  with 
the  exception  of  the  Ruby  Red,  the  rarest  of  colors  met 
with  in  Diamonds. 

The  following  is  the  order  in  which  colored  Dia¬ 
monds  may  be  ranked,  having  regard  to  their  rarity  and 
value  :  — i  Blue,  Red,  and  Green  ;  2  White.  There  are 
undoubtedly  fine  specimens  not  included  in  this  classifi¬ 
cation  ;  their  tints  and  shades  so  peculiar  and  varied 
that  they  may  better  be  described  individually  than 
in  groups. 

The  collection  of  Colored  Diamonds  in  the  Vienna 
Museum,  which  was  brought  together  by  Herr  Virgil  von 
Helmreicher,  a  Tyrolese  by  birth,  but  long  resident  in 
Brazil,  is  undoubtedly  the  most  complete  in  Europe. 


Colored  Diamonds. 


137 


Blue  Diamonds. 

Diamonds  of  a  faint  bluish  tint  are  not  unfrequently 
found,  but  their  defect  is  that  they  are  usually  more  or  less 
opalescent,  and  therefore  rank  as  stones  of  inferior  quality. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  rich  deep  Blue  Diamond  is  of 
extreme  rarity. 

Although  writers  describe  these  stones  as  possessing 
in  an  eminent  degree  the  beauty  of  fine  Sapphires,  no 
comparison  can  really  be  instituted,  their  blue  color  being 
peculiar  to  themselves-*— dark,  verging  on  indigo,  possessing 
a  characteristic  intensity  which  differs  materially  from  the 
mild,  soft  hue  of  the  Sapphire;  and,  above  all,  they  possess 
the  exclusive  irradiance  technically  described  as  the  “fire  ” 
of  the  Brilliant.  It  is  indeed  a  gem  which,  for  its  intrinsic 
beauty,  no  less  than  for  its  extreme  rarity,  challenges  the 
foremost  place  among  “  Precious  Stones.”  The  only  Blue 
Diamonds  known  were  found  in  the  old  Indian  mines, 
probably  those  of  Gani-Colour,  visited  by  Tavernier  in 
1642. 

The  Brazilian  mines,  although  yielding  many  colored 
Diamonds,  are  not  known  to  have  produced  a  single 
example  of  the  dark  blue  variety.  The  same  remark 
applies  to  the  South-African  mines,  which  have  not  as  yet 
given  to  the  world  either  a  green  or  a  blue  specimen. 

It  is  noticeable  that  early  Greek  writers  describe  the 
Adamas  as  having  a  dark  blue  color — a  description  which 
sufficiently  proves  that  the  stone  was  not  our  Diamond, 
since  this  gem  has  so  rarely  a  pronounced  blue  tint — but 
suggests  that  it  was  rather  the  Sapphire. 

The  first  mention  we  have  of  a  Blue  Diamond  in 
Elurope  refers  to  a  stone  then  considered  unique.  It 
weighed  in  the  rough  112^  carats,  was  bought  by  Tavernier 
in  India  in  1642,  and  was  sold  to  Louis  XIV.  in  1668.  It 
is  described  as  “  d’un  beau  violet.”  It  would  appear  to 


Colored  Diamonds. 


133 

have  been  somewhat  flat  and  ill-formed.  The  figure  in  the 
plate  probably  represents  faithfully  this  stone  in  its  then 
condition,  and  is  a  copy  from  an  old  French  engraving. 
After  its  purchase  by  “  Le  Grand  Monarque,”  it  was 
apparently  cut.  It  figured  in  a  grand  historic  scene  on 
the  19th  of  February,  1715,  when  the  Persian  Ambassador 
appeared  before  Louis  XIV.,  twelve  days  after  his  public 
entry  into  Paris.  Le  Grand  Monarque,  notwithstanding  his 
great  age  and  infirmities,  exerted  his  remaining  energy  of 
will  to  appear  before  the  illustrious  stranger  to  the  best 
advantage.  Pie  was  dressed  in  a  black  suit,  ornamented 
with  gold,  and  embroidered  with  Diamonds  at  the  cost — 
the  almost  incredible  estimate — of  £1 2,000,000.  Sus¬ 
pended  from  a  light  blue  ribbon  round  his  neck,  he  wore 
a  dark  Blue  Diamond  as  a  pendant.  And  we  find  in  the 
French  regalia,  a  century  later,  a  faceted  Diamond,  trian¬ 
gular  in  shape,  and  of  the  identical  color,  weighing  67-J- 
carats,  which  would  be  about  the  weight  of  Tavernier’s 
celebrated  purchase,  after  it  had  been  cut. 

This  stone  was,  with  the  rest  of  the  French  Regalia, 
seized  in  August,  1792,  and  deposited  in  the  Garde- 
Meuble.  From  this  insecure  place  it  was  surreptitiously 
abstracted  in  September  of  the  same  year.  What  ulti¬ 
mately  became  of  it  remains  a  mystery.  That  it  should 
have  really  been  lost  is  incredible  ;  and  from  the  sudden 
appearance  of  a  stone  of  similar  character,  the  extra¬ 
ordinary  rarity  of  which  is  acknowledged,  the  belief  may 
be  fairly  entertained  that  it  is  Tavernier’s  gem  re-cut,  and 
so  altered  in  form  as  to  render  its  identification  very  difficult. 
This  hypothesis  receives  additional  probability  from  the 
fact  that  a  Blue  Brilliant  about  the  year  1S30  was  in  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Daniel  Eliason,  which  came  to  light  with¬ 
out  a  history,  without  any  account  being  rendered  as  to 
whence  it  came,  and  what  had  been  its  travels  and  fortunes. 


Colored  Diamonds. 


139 


Subsequently  it  is  traced  as  the  property  of  the  late 
Mr.  Hope,  under  the  name  of  the  “  Hope  ”  Diamond. 
The  difference  in  weight  between  the  original  stone  of 
carats,  and  this  actual  stone  of  44 1  carats,  naturally 
suggests  the  interrogation,  “Was  the  weight  lost  simply 
in  the  cutter’s  hands,  or  were  one  or  more  pieces  removed 
by  simple  cleavage,  and  preserved?”  The  latter  supposi¬ 
tion,  viz.,  that  the  Diamond  abstracted  in  1792  was  reduced 
by  cleavage  and  formed  into  two  Brilliants,  is  not  impro¬ 
bable.  This  deduction  is  indeed  the  more  plausible,  as 
Tavernier’s  Diamond  evidently  had  one  of  the  crystallo¬ 
graphic  faces  largely  produced  on  the  one  side,  which 
gave  the  stone  a  “drop  form,”  a  formation  frequently  seen 
in  rough  Diamonds,  especially  in  colored  stones  (ex¬ 
cepting  always  the  yellow  varieties),  and  leading  to  the 
inference  that  the  cleavage  plane  must  have  lain  as  in 


the  diagram  between  A  and  B.  In 
the  first  cutting  of  the  stone  this 


g  original  shape  was  to  some  extent 
V  preserved,  which  left  an  ill-formed, 
j  triangular-shaped  Brilliant  somewhat 
)  thin  on  one  side.  From  this  it  would 
have  been  easy  for  an  expert  to  cleave 
a  triangular  piece  of  about  10  or  1 1 


carats,  thus  leaving  the  stone  weighing  about  56  carats,  the 
re-cutting  of  which,  as  a  perfect  Brilliant,  well  proportioned, 
would  reduce  it  to  its  present  weight  of  445  carats.  It  is 
observable  that  the  “  Hope  ”  Diamond  is  even  now 
straighter  on  one  side  than  the  other,  and  this  strengthens 
the  presumption  of  the  stone  having  teen  cleaved  as 
suggested.  The  late  Emperor  of  the  French  ordered  a 
model  of  the  Blue  Diamond  in  question  to  be  made  while 
it  remained  in  the  Paris  Exhibition. 

The  correctness  of  this  hypothesis  would  receive 


140 


Colored  Diamonds. 


confirmation  if  the  pieces,  or  the  piece,  assumed  to  be  split 
off  could  be  discovered  and  identified,  but  the  difficulty  in 
the  way  of  this  evidence  lies  in  the  strong  presumption  of 
the  remanets  having  been  also  subjected  to  re-cutting  and 
re-polishing.  The  cleft-off  piece  must  have  been  triangular 
at  first,  with  a  straight  side  corresponding  with  the  side  of 
the  “  Hope  ”  Diamond,  as  shewn  in  the  diagram.  After 
being  re-cut  it  would  make  a  Blue  Diamond  of  '‘drop 
shape,”  the  base  of  which  would  correspond  with  the 
straight  side  of  the  latter  gem,  proportionate  in  substance, 
identical  in  color  (in  all  probability),  and  weighing  from  6 
to  7  carats. 

A  stone  answering  to  such  a  description  would  supply 
strong  presumptive  evidence  in  support  of  the  theory,  that 
the  two  stones  would  be  part  of  the  one  originally  separated 
by  the  cleaver’s  art ;  and  such  a  stone  did  actually  come 
into  the  market  in  the  April  of  1874,  and  fell  into  the 
hands  of  some  competent  judges,  who  examined  it  in  juxta¬ 
position  with  the  “  Hope  ”  Diamond,  to  which,  in  color  and 
quality,  it  bore  a  remarkable  resemblance.  It  was  pur¬ 
chased  in  Geneva  at  the  sale  of  the  late  Duke  of  Bruns¬ 
wick’s  jewels.  The  conclusion  that  the  Duke  of  Brunswick’s 
“Blue  Drop  Diamond”  once  formed  the  projecting  side 
which  appears  to  have  characterized  the  original  shape  of 
the  “  Hope  ”  Brilliant  was  inevitable. 

Besides  these  two  there  are  only  three  Diamonds 
known  in  Europe  which  can  in  the  same  sense  be  termed 
“Blue,”  and  these  all  differ  from  the  “Hope,”  and  from 
each  other  in  color.  Of  the  three,  the  most  important  is 
the  Brilliant,  also  sold  at  the  Duke  of  Brunswick’s  sale, 
a  Blue  Stone,  weighing  13^  carats.  It  is  of  an  octagon 
shape,  with  “  flat  top  and  thick  back,”  not  unlike  a  Rose 
Diamond. 

A  very  fine,  but  small,  dark  Blue  Brilliant,  weighing 


Colored  Diamonds. 


141 

about  5  grains,  formerly  in  the  Vienna  collection,  and  the 
remaining  gem,  which  weighs  about  4J  carats,  and  is 
somewhat  square  in  form,  and  paler  in  hue  than  its  famous 
congeners,  are  both  in  private  hands. 

Red  Diamonds. 

The  true  Red  Diamond  is  valuable  “  according  to  the 
glorious  beauty  of  its  perfection to  use  a  quaint  phrase  of 
good  old  Thomas  Nicols,  writing  to  the  dons  of  Cambridge 
in  1651.  “It  feeds  your  eyes  with  much  pleasure  in  be¬ 
holding,  and  hence  are  discovered  to  us  the  excellencies 
of  super-celestial  things.” 

The  only  specimen  known  to  jewellers  is  the  gem 
bought  from  Mr.  Joseph  Halphen,  of  Paris,  by  a  London 
firm.  It  passed  ultimately  into  the  possession  of  a  great 
connoisseur.  For  richness  of  color  it  may  not  inaptly  be 
likened  to  an  African  sunset. 

There  are  many  Rose-colored  Diamonds,  but  the 
Blood  or  Ruby  Red  specimen  just  described — a  gem  on 
fire  as  it  were — is  unique  in  all  modern  experience. 

Green  Diamonds. 

The  history  of  the  finest  specimen  of  a  Diamond  of 
this  color  may  be  not  uninteresting.  Twenty  years  ago 
this  stone  was  obtained  for  £200.  Some  years  afterwards 
it  was  sold  for  £300.  Subsequently  it  passed  into  the 
possession  of  a  jeweller  in  Bond  Street,  who  sold  it  to  an 
American  for  £600.  Mr.  Charles  Drayson  is  now  its 
owner.  Should  it  again  change  hands  it  would  probably 
be  purchased  to  enrich  the  regalia  of  one  of  the  great 
European  courts. 

Among  the  treasures  of  the  famous  Griine  Gewolbe, 
or  “  Green  Vaults,’’  of  Dresden,  is  a  celebrated  Green 
Diamond  weighing  48-J  carats,  and  valued  at  £30,000, 


142 


Colored  Diamonds. 


The  visitor  who  is  familiar  with  the  brightly-colored 
models  of  this  stone,  common  in  collections,  feels  some 
little  disappointment  on  seeing  the  original,  the  color  of 
which  is  of  the  faintest  possible  shade  of  green. 

Diamonds  of  Unwonted  Color. 

His  Grace  the  Duke  of  Wellington  possesses  a  very 
fine  Black  Diamond,  weighing  \2\  carats,  which  was 
valued  in  1869  at  ^183  15^,  In  the  “Hope  Collection,” 
exhibited  in  1851,  were  three  Brilliants  of  unusual  tint — 
one  pink,  cushion  shaped,  the  weight  of  which  was  28 
carats  ;  the  second,  lilac-hued,  of  oval  shape,  weighing 
1  1  carats  ;  and  the  third  of  an  apricot  color,  or  a  mixture 
of  peach  and  orange. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

BORT,  CARBONADO  AND  BORON. 

BORT. 

HERTAIN  Diamonds  are  found  of  inferior 
quality,  and  so  imperfectly  crystallized,  that 
they  are  useless  as  ornamental  stones.  These 

_ j  are  called  “  Bort,”  or  “  Boort,”  and  are  either 

crushed  to  form  Diamond  dust,  or  are  used  for  engraving. 
By  mineralogists  the  name  Bort  is  restricted  to  an  un¬ 
crystallized  form  of  Diamond,  which  generally  presents  the 
appearance  of  small  spherical  masses,  destitute  of  cleavage, 
but  displaying  on  fracture  a  radiated  internal  structure. 
It  is  usually  greyish-white,  of  a  dark  or  even  black  color, 
and  has  a  density  somewhat  higher  than  that  of  ordinary 
Diamonds.  Useless  for  the  purpose  of  the  jeweller,  it  is 
consigned  to  the  lapidary  to  be  crushed  in  steel  mortars 
and  used  in  the  form  of  powder  as  an  abrading  agent. 
The  diamond  powder  formed  by  crushing  these  inferior 
stones,  as  well  as  that  which  is  the  produce  of  the  opera¬ 
tions  of  cutting  and  cleaving  rough  stones,  is,  after  mix¬ 
ture  with  oil,  employed  for  polishing  Diamonds, 


144 


Bort ,  Carbonado  and  Boron. 


CARBONADO. 

This  substance,  also  known  as  “ Carbonate ”  or  “Car¬ 
bon,”  resembles  in  color  and  appearance  fragments  of 
Hematite.  Both  the  names,  Carbonado  and  Carbonate, 
are  clearly  misnomers,  as,  chemically,  the  body  referred 
to  is  like  Diamond,  Graphite  and  Charcoal,  a  form  of  the 
element  Carbon.  It  is  found  only  in  Brazil,  mostly  in  the 
province  of  Bahia. 

Carbonado  was  at  first  introduced  for  the  purpose  of 
cutting  Diamonds,  after  the  same  fashion  as  the  “Bort” 
referred  to  above.  Of  late  years,  however,  a  new  and 
most  important  application  of  this  material  has  been  made. 
It  is  employed  for  the  purpose  of  drilling  holes  in  rocks, 
either  to  receive  explosives  for  subsequent  blasting,  or  for 
prospecting,  in  order  to  discover  their  underlying  strata. 
The  demand  that  has  thus  sprung  up  for  Carbonado,  has 
caused  it  to  rise  in  price  from  is.  to  about  30 per  carat. 
If  steel  is  used  to  cut  rocks,  a  percussive,  and  not  a  rub¬ 
bing  or  cutting  motion  must  be  given  to  it,  otherwise, 
owing  to  its  deficient  hardness,  the  steel  itself  would  be 
worn  away  rather  than  the  rock,  as  is  popularly  exem¬ 
plified  in  the  ordinary  grindstone.  Where  deep  borings 
for  exploring  purposes  have  to  be  made,  it  becomes  a 
difficult  mechanical  problem  to  construct  a  machine,  which 
shall  satisfactorily  impart  a  striking  motion  to  a  heavy 
steel  tool.  Moreover,  the  difficulties  and  chances  of 
failure  increase  very  rapidly  with  the  distance  from  the 
surface,  whereas,  with  a  continuous  rotatory  motion,  it  is 
comparatively  easy  to  bore  to  any  depth.  Borings  have 
been  effected  to  a  depth  of  between  2,000  feet  and  3,000 
feet  with  the  aid  of  carbon,  not  much  greater  difficulty 
being  experienced  at  the  end  than  at  the  commencement 
of  the  operations. 

Selected  pieces  of  carbon  are  firmly  embedded  in  a 


Bort,  Carbonado  and  Boron. 


45 

ring  of  steel,  called  a  crown,  of  the  size  corresponding  to 
that  of  the  perforation  which  it  is  desired  to  bore.  This 
ring  is  screwed  to  a  series  of  long  hollow  tubes,  which  are 
lengthened  as  the  work  proceeds  ;  these  tubes  or  rods  are 
kept  rotating  by  steam  power,  and  their  weight  is  so 
adjusted,  that  a  pressure  of  half  a  ton  can  be  brought  to 
bear  on  the  crown,  when  it  is  boring  a  4-in.  hole  in  native 
or  living  rock.  The  crown  rotates  some  250  times  a 
minute,  and  water  is  continually  pumped  through  the 
hollow  rods,  passing  under  the  cutting  face  of  the  crown, 
to  keep  the  Diamonds  cool,  and  to  wash  off  and  upward 
to  the  surface,  the  debris  formed  by  the  action  of  the 
crown.  Under  favourable  circumstances,  hard  granite 
would  be  readily  cut  at  the  rate  of  from  3  in.  to  4  in.  per 
minute.  The  Diamond  apparatus  does  its  work  entirely 
by  friction.  Its  action  is  simply  an  abrading  one,  and 
effected  neither  by  cutting  nor  percussion.  It  grinds  or 
crushes  the  rocky  stratum  by  its  adamantine  density. 
The  difference  between  the  relative  hardness  of  the  car¬ 
bonate  and  ordinary  rock  is  such,  that  several  thousand 
feet  might  be  bored  with  a  crown  properly  set  with  good 
stones,  before  any  serious  wear  would  take  place.  The 
principal  loss  does  not  result  from  actual  wear,  but  from 
the  breakage  which  is  caused  when  one  of  the  stones  be¬ 
comes  loose  in  its  setting,  or  from  some  accidental  cleavage 
which  occurs  ;  the  fragments,  unable  to  escape  from  be¬ 
neath  the  crown,  invariably  injure  the  other  stones.  The 
advantages  of  the  system  of  rock-boring  by  means  of 
Carbonado,  as  adopted  by  the  Diamond  Rock  Boring 
Company,  may  be  summed  up  as  follows  : — 

Firstly  :  The  action  is  extremely  rapid  ;  work  may  be 
done  in  months  that  would  otherwise  take  years.  Secondly: 
The  machine  produces  a  continuous  solid  core  of  the  strata 
passed,  giving  information  far  more  reliable  to  the  geologist, 

K 


146 


Bort,  Carbonado  and  Boron. 


than  that  offered  by  the  muddy  or  dusty  debris  which,  by 
former  inventions  were  brought  to  the  surface.  Thirdly  : 
This  system  is  practicable  in  soft  as  well  as  in  hard  strata, 
but  its  advantage,  when  compared  with  the  method  in  which 
steel  is  used,  is  for  obvious  reasons  less  on  the  softer  than  on 
the  harder  material.  Fourthly :  It  is  particularly  applicable 
to  subaqueous  blasting  operations,  as  the  Diamond  drill  will 
bore  the  rock  under  any  head  of  water,  as  well  as  on  dry 
land.  Fifthly:  It  is  undoubtedly  more  economical  of  time 
and  of  money,  than  any  other  method  of  rock-boring  yet 
put  into  competition  with  it.  The  system  is  now  in  exten¬ 
sive  use  in  all  civilized  countries, including  China  and  Japan, 
to  which  last-named  country  the  company  working  under 
Colonel  Beaumont’s  patents  have  sent  out  machinery. 

BORON. 

The  subject  of  Diamond  must  not  be  concluded 
without  some  notice  of  a  chemical  discovery,  which,  it 
was  once  thought,  might  exercise  great  influence  upon  the 
commerce  of  Diamonds,  and  upon  the  use  of  them  for 
personal  adornment.  The  discovery  treats  of  nothing  less 
than  the  formation  of  bodies  akin  to  the  natural  Carbon- 
Diamond,  but  consisting  of  the  element  Boron. 

It  is  well-known  how  Wohler  and  Deville,  while  trying 
to  produce,  in  large  quantities,  pure  aluminium,  discovered 
a  method  of  crystallizing  Silicon  and  Boron.  The  crystal¬ 
lized  Boron  shewed  in  so  remarkable  a  manner  the  pro¬ 
perties  of  the  Diamond — its  hardness,  transparency,  and 
refraction — that  there  was  evidently  an  intimate  relation 
between  the  two.  This  element,  Boron,  in  combination 
with  oxygen,  forms  boracic  acid,  just  as  Carbon  with 
oxygen  forms  carbonic  acid,  but  the  proportion  of  oxygen 
is  not  the  same  in  the  two  cases. 

There  is  a  surprising  similarity  between  the  elements 


Bort,  Carbonado  and  Boron. 


H7 


Boron  and  Carbon.  They  both  exist  in  two  conditions:  1st, 
amorphous— -as  charcoal  ;  2nd,  crystalline — as  Diamond. 
At  the  same  time  there  are  some  very  marked  differences 
between  them  ;  thus — the  Diamond  crystallizes  in  regular 
octahedra,  while  the  crystalline  form  of  Boron  is  tetra¬ 
gonal— an  elongated  prism  whose  corners  are  somewhat 
blunted,  or  else  foliated  crystals.  The  foliated  crystals  are 
harder  than  the  elongated  prism,  and  are  almost  black. 
The  large  crystals  are  mostly  transparent  and  somewhat 
colorless  ;  and  not  unfrequently  they  are  tinged  garnet- 
red,  hyacinth-red,  or  honey-yellow. 

Possessors  and  purchasers  of  Diamonds  need  not  be 
alarmed  at  the  prospect  thus  dimly  shadowed  forth.  It 
has  only  been  possible  to  produce  Boron-crystals  of  small 
size,  and  therefore  of  no  value  as  ornamental  stones.  The 
Boron-crystal  will  never  replace  —  never  in  any  way 
approach  in  value  —  the  Diamond.  It  is,  however,  a 
matter  of  great  interest  to  scientific  men. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


ROUGH  DIAMONDS. 


E  valuing  of  rough  Diamonds  requires  much 
technical  experience. 

Although  the  Diamonds  of  all  parts  of  the 
world  possess  similar  characteristics  and 
agree  in  general  appearance,  yet  the  stones  from  different 
places  have  special  peculiarities  by  which  good  judges 
generally  find  themselves  at  once  in  a  position  to  declare 
the  locality  whence  they  have  been  obtained,  although 
they  cannot  always  define  the  grounds  of  their  judgment. 

In  valuing  rough  Diamonds  it  is  of  primal  importance 
to  consider  the  following  points  :  Firstly,  the  form  and 
proportions  of  the  crystal,  whether  it  can  be  cleaved  to 
advantage  ;  and  then  the  loss  of  weight  likely  to  be  in¬ 
curred  in  cutting,  as  an  irregular  or  broken  piece  obviously 
requires  a  greater  sacrifice  of  weight  to  form  it  into  a  per¬ 
fect  Brilliant  than  a  well-proportioned  crystal.  Chips  or 
splints  are  often  fashioned  by  the  cutter  into  Diamonds 
with  very  little  loss  of  weight.  Secondly,  heed  must  be 
taken  to  distinguish  the  degrees  of  color,  and  purity  of 
the  specimen.  The  best  forms  to  choose  are  the  octahe¬ 
dron  and  the  rhombic-dodecahedron. 


Rough  Diamonds. 


149 


It  must  not  be  forgotten,  in  estimating  large  Rough 
Diamonds,  especially  those  from  the  Cape,  that  certain 
tints  of  color  may  be  brought  out  in  the  cutting,  which  do 
not  appear  in  the  stone  in  its  rough  state ;  thus,  perfect 
polish,  and  the  power  of  reflection,  characteristic  of  the 
Brilliant,  intensify  any  tint  of  yellow  existing  in  the  stone. 
This  observation  does  not  apply  to  river  stones,  but  rather 
to  those  from  the  dry  diggings.  In  many  specimens  a 
black  spot  is  developed  after  cutting,  which  was  not  visi¬ 
ble  in  the  rough.  This  spot  may  appear  even  in  the  finest 
Diamonds,  and  is  especially  noticeable  in  Indian  stones. 

It  is  difficult,  nay  impossible,  to  quote  a  standard 
price  for  Rough  Diamonds.  The  remark  universally 
applicable  is  that  the  value  varies  greatly,  according  to 
size  and  quality. 

Cape  Rough  Diamonds. 

To  those  who  are  not  conversant  with  the  various 
classes  and  details  of  the  subdivision  of  Rough  Diamonds, 
the  following  classification  may  be  of  service  - 

White  Clear  Crystals. 

Bright  Black  Cleavage. 

Cape  White. 

Light  Bywater. 

Large  White  Cleavage. 

Picked  Meld. 

Common  and  Ordinary  Meld. 

Bultfontein  Meld. 

Large  White  Chips. 

Small  White  Chips. 

Mackel  or  Made  (flat  for  roses). 

Bright  Brown. 

Deep  Brown, 

Bort 


150 


Rough  Diamonds. 


Yellows. 

Large  Yellows  and  Large  By  waters. 
Fine  Quality  River  Stones. 
Jagersfontein  Stones. 

Splints. 

Enden. 

Fine  Fancy  Stones. 


Price  of  Brilliants. 


In  addition  to  the  universal  experience,  that  excep¬ 
tionally  large  and  pure  Brilliants  are,  as  matters  of  com¬ 
petition  in  value,  almost  abnormal,  there  is  a  further 
element  of  uncertainty  introduced  into  the  market,  arising 
from  the  extension  of  the  Diamond  fields.  To  what  limit 
this  may  eventually  influence  the  price  of  Diamonds,  it 
is  difficult  to  forecast. 


SECTION  III. 


COLORED  STONES, 


CHAPTER  I. 

CORUNDUM. 


T  has  been  shewn  in  some  of  the  preceding 
chapters  that  the  Diamond,  from  a  chemical 
point  of  view,  is  nothing  more  than  a  crystal¬ 
lized  form  of  carbon,  and  is,  therefore,  sub¬ 
stantially  the  same  kind  of  matter  as  a  piece  of  common 
charcoal.  Having  reached  this  startling  conclusion,  the 
question  spontaneously  arises  whether  carbon  is  the  only 
substance  capable  of  undergoing  such  marvellous  trans¬ 
formation.  Can  the  subtlety  of  the  chemist’s  art  detect  in 
any  other  of  our  gems  some  of  the  commoner  and  baser 
kinds  of  matter? 

Curiously  enough  the  stones  which  stand  in  the  very 
forefront  of  the  class  of  colored  gems — the  incomparable 
stones  known  as  the  Rziby  and  the  Sapphire— have  been 


152 


Corundum. 


found  to  consist  of  a  very  widely  distributed  and  common 
form  of  mineral  matter  known  as  Alumina.  In  fact,  these 
gems  are  but  varieties  of  a  group  of  minerals  to  which  the 
general  name  of  Corundum  is  applied. 

The  name  Corundum  is  derived  from  the  Hindu  word 
Kurand,  and  it  is  most  probable  that  it  first  became  known 
in  Europe  from  the  stone  having  been  imported  from 
India.  Corundum  has  been  worked  in  all  the  known 
localities  in  India  by  the  natives,  and  the  first  discoveries 
date  back  to  very  early  periods.  An  important  deposit 
exists  in  Rewah,  but  most  of  the  localities  are  situated  in 
Southern  India. 

All  forms  of  Corundum,  including  those  matchless 
varieties  which  are  prized  as  gem-stones,  are  found  by  the 
chemist  to  contain  more  than  half  their  weight  of  that 
peculiar  metal,  which  of  late  years  has  become  widely 
known  under  the  name  of  Aluminium.  This  is  a  beautiful 
metal  much  resembling  silver  in  color  and  lustre,  yet 
widely  different  from  silver  in  its  extreme  lightness.  The 
oxide  of  this  metal  is  called  Alumina,  and  it  is  this  sub¬ 
stance  which,  in  its  natural  state,  forms  the  mineral 
Corundum.  As  a  silicate,  Alumina  forms  the  basis  of  all 
clays,  and  a  multitude  of  other  common  minerals  and 
rocks  ;  while  as  a  sulphate  it  enters  into  the  composi¬ 
tion  of  Alum — whence  indeed  the  word  “Alumina”  is 
derived. 

The  coarser  varieties  of  Corundum  are  more  or  less 
impure,  but  the  transparent  crystals  exhibit  the  Alumina 
in  a  state  of  approximate  purity — being  uncontaminated 
with  any  other  substance,  save  perhaps  a  trace  of  certain 
metallic  oxides,  on  which  the  exquisite  tints  of  the  colored 
Corundums  depend,  but  which  are  present  in  such  minute 
quantity,  as  well-nigh  to  elude  the  vigilance  of  the  chemist. 
Possibly  the  colors  of  the  Ruby  and  the  Sapphire  may  be 


Corundum. 


153 


due  to  certain  compounds  of  Chromium  or  of  Iron,  but  the 
chemist  hesitates  to  speak  with  confidence  on  so  moot  a 
point. 

Corundum,  in  all  its  forms,  crystallizes  in  the  hexago¬ 
nal  system,  usually  in  double  six-sided  pyramids. 

It  will  be  seen  in  the  figure  shewing  Sapphires  in 
their  Native  Bed,  that  the  common  form  of  crystalliza¬ 
tion  is  a  dodecahedron,  or  twelve-sided  figure,  with  each 
face  an  isosceles  triangle.  The  crystals  of  Corundum  are 
often  ill-shaped  and  rough,  and  usually  much  rolled.  One 
of  the  difficulties  attendant  on  the  manipulation  of  Corun¬ 
dum,  is  that  its  cleavage,  though  more  or  less  perfect,  is 
accompanied  by  conchoidal  and  uneven  fracture,  and  by 
brittleness  of  the  original  structure  of  the  crystal. 

The  lustre  of  Corundum  is  vitreous,  sometimes  pearly 
on  the  basal  planes,  and  occasionally  exhibiting  a  bright 
opalescent  star  of  six  rays  in  the  direction  of  the  princi¬ 
pal  axis.  Corundum  is  transparent  in  its  purer  forms. 
Its  refractive  index  is  177,  and  therefore  higher  than  that 
of  glass.  Friction  developes  electricity  in  different  speci¬ 
mens  in  various  degrees,  and  in  polished  specimens  the 
electrical  condition  remains  for  a  considerable  time.  All 
varieties  of  Corundum  can  be  scratched  by  the  Diamond, 
but  by  no  other  mineral.  The  imperfect  sorts  are  broken 
up  into  polishing  material  for  other  stones.  The  extreme 
hardness  of  Corundum  has  suggested  its  mineralogical 
name  of  Adamantine  Spar;  and  it  seems  likely  that  the 
Adamas  of  early  Greek  writers  was  not  the  true  Diamond, 
but  merely  a  form  of  Corundum. 

Corundum  is  found  (1)  associated  with  sand,  or 
detritus  and  generally  in  company  with  other  Precious 
Stones.  (2)  In  crystalline  rocks,  such  as  granite,  mica 
slate,  granular  limestone,  or  dolomite.  (3)  In  the  beds  of 
rivers,  either  in  modified  hexagonal  prisms,  or  in  masses, 


154 


Corundum. 


and  in  aggregates  of  grains,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  accom¬ 
panying  plate.  It  is  not  by  any  means  rare  to  find  it  in 
connection  with  quartz  sand,  or  rough  grains  of  magnetic 
iron  ore. 

Corundum  passes  under  a  variety  of  mineralogical 
names,  according  to  the  color  which  it  presents.  Thus 
the  coarser  and  less  transparent  kinds  are  designated 
simply  as  Corundum  ;  while  the  blue  varieties  are  known 
as  Sapphire,  and  the  red  as  Ruby  or  as  Oriental  Ruby,  the 
prefix  being  added  to  distinguish  it  from  Spinel  Ruby. 
When  yellow  the  Corundum  is  termed  Yellow  Sapphire, 
or  sometimes  Oriental  Topaz;  when  green,  Oriental 
Emerald ;  and  when  purple,  Oriental  Amethyst. 

The  most  valuable  section  of  the  whole  class  of 
Corundum  is  undoubtedly  that  which  contains  the  Sap¬ 
phire  and  the  Ruby.  It  is  in  India  that  we  have  the 
greatest  supply  and  variety  of  Corundum.  The  mineral 
occurs  in  Rewah,  Mysore,  Coimbatore,  Salem,  North 
Arcot,  Bellary,  Kistna,  Godaviri,  and  Hyderabad  dis¬ 
tricts;  likewise  in  the  Central  Provinces.  It  is  notable 
that  its  color  varies  in  different  localities— thus  in  Mysore 
it  is  principally  red  and  white  ;  in  Bellary  district,  sea- 
green  ;  and  in  North  Arcot,  clove  brown.  It  occurs  prin¬ 
cipally  in  old  crystalline  or  metamorphic  rocks. 

In  Ceylon  the  Sapphire  is  not  rare,  but  fine  Rubies 
are  very  scarce. 

At  Salem,  Corundum  is  said  to  occur  in  gneiss,  and 
in  an  earth  resulting  from  the  decomposition  of  that  rock; 
in  Mysore,  in  a  more  or  less  decomposed  talcose  schist. 
In  some  places  the  mines  are  worked  only  once  a  year. 
There  is  an  ingenious  way  of  keeping  up  the  price  of  this 
article,  by  asserting  that  the  guardian  spirit  only  allows 
the  mine  to  assume  the  Corundum  condition  for  one  day 
in  the  year. 


Corundum. 


155 


Some  interesting  details  of  a  mine  situated  upon  a 
hill  between  Pepru  and  Kadopani  are  given  by  Mr.  Mallet 
in  the  “Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,”  accom¬ 
panied  by  a  section  of  the  mine.  He  states  that  above  a 
mass  of  porphyritic  gneiss  and  hornblende  rock,  there  lies 
a  bed  of  Corundum,  reddish  and  purplish  grey,  several 
yards  thick,  upon  which  rests  a  bed  of  white  and  green 
jade,  with  purple  Corundum  and  other  minerals. 

A  remarkable  deposit  of  Corundum,  associated  with 
Ruby  and  Sapphire,  was  described  by  Col.  C.  W.  Jenks, 
before  the  Geological  Society  of  London  in  1874.  The 
locality  is  known  as  the  Culsagee  Corundum  Mine,  and  is 
situated  in  Macon  County,  North  Carolina.  The  Corun¬ 
dum  associated  with  numerous  other  minerals,  occurs  in 
veins,  running  through  a  mass  of  serpentine,  which,  rising 
as  a  boss  through  the  surrounding  granite,  is  known  as 
Corundum  Hill.  Some  of  the  crystals  yielded  by  these 
veins  weighed  more  than  300  lbs.  each,  and  many  of  them 
exhibited  a  curious  diversity  of  color,  so  that  one  part  of 
a  crystal  might  be  red,  while  another  portion  of  the  same 
mass  would  present  blue  and  green  colors.  The  brightly- 
colored  portions  were  veritable  gems,  but  mostly  too  much 
flawed  and  otherwise  too  imperfect  to  be  of  value  as 
ornamental  stones.  Nevertheless,  the  discovery  was  one 
of  great  mineralogical  interest,  inasmuch  as  it  offered  the 
only  known  example  of  the  occurrence  of  Rubies  and 
Sapphires  in  situ  on  a  large  scale,  in  association  with  the 
coarser  forms  of  crystalline  Corundum. 

Emery,  though  very  different  in  appearance  from 
Sapphire  or  Ruby,  is  regarded  as  Corundum  in  an  impure 
and  amorphous  condition.  For  ages  past  Emery  has 
served  as  material  for  polishing  other  minerals.  The 
Jews  called  it  Shameer.  In  such  a  passage  as  the 
following — “The  sin  of  Judah  is  written  with  a  pen 


15C 


Corundum. 


of  iron  and  with  the  point  of  a  Diamond ’’ — the  original 
word  translated  “  Diamond  ”  no  doubt  refers  to  Emery, 
or  some  similar  form  of  Corundum.  It  was  probably 
by  means  of  this  substance  that  the  ancient  Egyp¬ 
tians  worked  their  hard  stones,  and  the  Assyrian  gem- 
engravers  executed  their  marvellous  Intaglios.  Armenia 
and  Ethiopia  were  famous  localities  of  antiquity,  and  the 
Isle  of  Naxos  in  the  Grecian  Archipelago,  also  yielded 
vast  stores  of  this  useful  mineral.  It  was  from  this  island 
that  Emery  obtained  the  name  of  Naxium ,  which  Latin 
writers  applied  to  it.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the 
Naxium  of  Armenia  was  held  in  much  higher  repute 
among  the  Greeks  than  that  of  Naxos  itself. 

Emery  is  found  in  Naxos  in  a  fine-grained  con¬ 
glomerate,  and  at  times  in  large  boulders.  This  island 
has,  running  through  it  from  north  to  south,  a  chain  of 
mountains,  partly  formed  of  granite.  With  the  granite  is 
a  granulated  limestone  with  deep  fissures,  enclosing 
Emery  with  layers  of  Mica.  Of  late  years  the  quantity 
annually  produced  on  this  island,  for  the  Government, 
has  been  2000  tons.  The  Emery  which  is  sought  for 
technical  purposes  is  a  mixture  of  greenish-white  Corun¬ 
dum  and  magnetic  iron-stone.  Sometimes,  indeed,  though 
rarely,  in  the  middle  of  a  mass  of  Emery  a  regular  prism 
of  dark  blue  Corundum  is  found.  The  best  locality  for 
Emery  in  the  island  of  Naxos  is  Bothri.  Its  usual 
color  is  ash-grey,  which  at  times  acquires  a  reddish-brown 
tinge  from  its  association  with  oxide  of  iron.  Emery 
often  acts  powerfully  upon  the  magnet,  in  consequence 
of  the  magnetite,  with  which  it  is  so  largely  contaminated. 
It  may,  in  fact,  contain  as  much  as  50  per  cent,  of  Oxide 
of  Iron. 

Of  late  years  we  have  obtained  an  important  quantity 
of  Emery  from  Asia  Minor  (twelve  miles  east  of  Ephesus), 


Corundum. 


*57 

but  it  is  not  so  good  in  quality  as  that  obtained  from  the 
island  of  Naxos.  For  its  discovery  here,  as  well  as  in 
Kula,  Adula,  and  Manser,  this  last  being  twenty-four 
miles  north  of  Smyrna,  we  are  indebted  to  Dr.  Lawrence 
Smith. 

Corundum. 

Composition — Alumina,  ...  ...  98’ 5. 

Ferric  Oxide  ...  ...  ro. 

Lime  ...  .  o’5. 


1000 


Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  ...  4. 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  ...  9. 

System  of  Crystallization  ...  Hexagonal. 

Form — Single  and  double  hexagonal  pyramids  ; 
more  often  in  water  worn  and  fractured  pebbles. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  ORIENTAL  RUBY. 


HE  Oriental  Ruby  is  indisputably  the  most 
valuable  of  Precious  Stones.  Theophras¬ 
tus  speaks  of  it  as  incombustible,  and  as 
having  the  appearance  of  a  burning  coal 
when  held  up  to  the  sun.  He  is  said  to  have  given  forty 
gold  pieces  for  a  very  small  one.  In  consequence  of  its 
resemblance  in  color  to  a  live  coal,  it  was  termed  by  him 
Anthrax,  while  Pliny,  for  a  like  reason,  calls  it  Carbunculus. 

The  Oriental  Ruby  is  generally  found  loose  in  sand 
or  debris  in  company  with  other  Precious  Stones  It  will 
readily  scratch  Emerald,  Topaz,  Rock  Crystal,  and  indeed, 
all  other  stones,  save  the  Diamond,  though  it  slightly  yields 
in  hardness  to  the  Sapphire.  Its  color  is  carmine,  cochi¬ 
neal,  and  rose-red,  often  with  a  play  of  violet  ;  the  most 
valued  color  being  that  of  pigeon’s  blood. 

The  greatest  emporium  of  Rubies  is  the  kingdom  of 
Burmah.  It  is  commonly  said  that  no  Europeans  are 
ever  allowed  to  visit  the  Ruby  mines  of  the  King  of  Burmah, 
but,  notwithstanding  this  prohibition,  we  have  two  descrip¬ 
tions  by  Europeans  who  have  managed  to  visit  them, 


RUBY 


SAPPHIRE 


EMERALD 


The  Oriental  Iiuby. 


*59 


The  first  was  by  the  Pere  Guiseppe  D’Amato,  the  precise 
date  of  whose  visit  is  unknown,  but  it  was  probably  just 
prior  to  the  year  1833.  Mr.  Bredmeyer  also  writes  to  the 
effect  that  he  was  fifteen  years  ago,  in  actual  charge  of 
certain  mines,  within  16  miles  of  Mandalay. 

Mr.  John  Crawford,  in  his  “Journey  to  the  Court  of 
Ava,”  gives  a  striking  illustration  of  the  jealousy  with 
which  that  Government  regards  its  alleged  right  to  all  the 
Precious  Stones  of  signal  value  found  within  the  range  of 
the  Burmese  Empire.  He  states  that  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Arrican  Temple  “  We  called  at  the  house  of  an  Armenian 
to  see  some  Rubies  and  Sapphires.  The  owner  produced 
some  of  small  size  which  we  purchased,  when  he  told  us  in 
confidence  that  he  dared  not  produce  any  larger  ones  then, 
but  as  we  were  on  our  travels  he  would  meet’us  at  Rangoon 
and  show  us  some  much  finer,  as  any  Ruby  worth  overdo 
being  considered  the  property  of  the  King,  the  exposure, 
or  even  the  possession,  of  one  beyond  that  value  was  a 
crime  punishable  by  fine  and  confiscation.” 

There  is  a  law  in  force  in  Burmah  which  deprives  the 
market  of  the  most  beautiful  Rubies.  Whoever  finds  a 
Ruby  weighing  100  ticals  is  bound,  under  pain  of  death,  to 
deliver  it  up  to  the  Financial  Department  of  the  Govern¬ 
ment.  In  order  to  avoid  this  penalty  and  loss  of  property, 
the  discoverer  of  a  large  stone  is  often  tempted  to  break 
it  up  into  small  pieces,  thereby  occasioning  vast  loss  to 
the  Government.  It  was  thought  that  when  Pegu,  the 
“  Fatherland  of  Rubies,”  was  annexed  to  England  in 
1852,  Europe  would  be  richer  in  these  beautiful  stones, 
but  it  has  not  proved  so.  It  appears  that  certain  dangers 
exist,  or  are  said  to  exist,  in  the  lands  where  Rubies  are 
found,  such  as  malaria,  wild  beasts  and  venomous  reptiles. 
But  it  is  possible  that  these  dangers  may  be  exaggerated 
by  the  Ruby  merchants  in  order  to  hinder  competition 


160  The  Oriental  Ruby. 

The  late  King  of  Burmah  was  known  to  be  excessively 
fond  of  these  stones.  He  prohibited  the  export  of  them, 
so  that,  save  through  himself  or  the  agency  of  private 
individuals,  or  by  indirect  means,  but  few  good  Rubies 
passed  out  of  the  country. 

There  is  a  mythical  belief  among  the  inhabitants  of 
Burmah  that  Rubies  ripen  in  the  earth  ;  that  they  are  at 
first  colorless  and  crude,  and  gradually  as  they  ripen  be¬ 
come  yellow,  green,  blue,  and  last  of  all,  red ,  this  being 
considered  the  highest  point  of  beauty  and  ripeness. 

The  varieties  of  Precious  Corundum  ascertained  to 
exist  in  the  Burmese  dominions  are  the  Oriental  Sapphire 
(Pila),  the  Oriental  Ruby  ( Pata-ma  and  Kyaok-ni ,  “  red 
stone  ”),  the  Opalescent  Ruby,  the  Star  Ruby,  the  Green, 
the  Yellow,  and  the  White  Sapphires,  and  the  Oriental 
Amethyst. 

Rubies  and  Sapphires  are  principally  found  at  Kyat- 
pyan  and  Mookop,  five  days’  journey  from  Ava  (Burmah). 
But  merchants  of  the  present  day  hold  that  the  finest 
Rubies  are  those  found  to  the  north-east  of  Mandalay 
and  west  of  the  Upper  Salween  River. 

Mr.  Mesny,  who  accompanied  the  late  Lieut.  Gill 
through  China  and  Thibet  to  Upper  Burmah  and  thence  to 
Rangoon,  states  that  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  trade 
in  Rubies  and  other  Precious  Stones  is  carried  on  by  the 
wild  inhabitants  of  the  mountainous  regions  of  Upper 
Burmah  known  as  the  “  Katchen  ”  or  Snow  Mountains. 
These  men  pay  fitful  tribute  to  both  the  Burmese  and 
Chinese  Governments,  but  the  payment  is  often  extorted 
by  force  of  arms.  The  liability  to  storms  to  which  this 
part  of  Burmah  is  subjected  prevents  these  wild  tribes  from 
prosecuting  their  search  for  Rubies  for  more  than  three  or 
four  months  in  the  year.  As  soon  as  the  deluge  begins 
these  men  desist  from  their  search,  and  make  their  way 


The  Oriental  Ruby. 


161 


to  the  principal  stations  on  the  Chinese  frontier,  and 
exchange  their  Rubies  for  Indian  rupees,  but  in  many 
instances  refusing  to  take  any  coin  except  that  bearing 
the  Queen’s  image  or  issued  by  the  Indian  Government. 
They  not  unfrequently  travel  to  Balassy  and  Bhamo,  where 
they  endeavour  to  exchange  their  stones  favourably,  ob¬ 
taining  a  supply  of  coin  which  they  expend  in  riotous 
living  and  debauchery.  It  is  anything  but  safe  or  pleasant 
to  deal  with  them,  as  their  habits  are  lawless  and  wild. 
Many  are  the  dangers  to  which  travellers  and  traders  are 
exposed  in  this  almost  unknown  region.  Not  only  are 
the  people  inhospitable,  wild,  cruel,  and  avaricious,  but  the 
country  is  infested  with  wild  beasts  and  poisonous  reptiles. 
Roads  there  are  none  ;  scarcely,  indeed,  a  track  to  guide 
the  traveller  ;  the  routes  for  the  most  part  run  through 
jungle  and  wild  grass  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  in  height. 

At  the  foot  of  the  Capelan  Mountains,  near  Sirian,  a 
'city  of  Pegu,  Rubies  are  found  in  the  detritus  of  granite, 
with  magnetic-iron,  and  Zircon,  all  having  been  probably 
washed  down  from  the  mountains.  The  finest  and  best 
are  found  in  the  Pegu  River,  those  from  the  mountains 
beyond  being  of  an  inferior  quality. 

Major  Moriarty,  on  his  return  from  Cabul,  brought  to 
this  country  a  Ruby,  weighing  ro|  carats,  from  the  mines 
of  Gandamak,  in  Afghanistan,  which  are  situated  about 
300  N.  lat,  and  70°  E.  long.  This  stone  passed  into  the 
possession  of  the  author. 

Rubies  are  said  to  be  found  also  on  the  slopes  of  the 
Oxus,  [near  to  Shighnan  and  Charan.  They  are  likewise 
found,  in  association  with  other  Precious  Stones,  in  the 
form  of  rolled  pebbles  in  some  of  the  river-beds  of  Ceylon. 
But  the  Ceylon  Ruby  is  generally  inferior  in  quality,  and 
of  a  light,  bright  color,  not  approaching  the  beautiful 
tint  of  the  Burmah  stone. 


L 


162  The  Oriental  Ruby. 

Rubies  of  small  size  have  occasionally  been  found 
in  some  of  the  gold-bearing  gravels  of  Australia.  In 
New  South  Wales  it  is  recorded  from  the  Cudgegong  and 
some  of  its  tributaries,  and  from  Mudgee  and  a  few  other 
localities.  In  Victoria  the  Ruby  occurs  in  the  drifts  of 
the  Beechworth  gold-fields,  at  Pakenham,  and  elsewhere. 
A  magenta-colored  Corundum,  more  or  less  opaque,  is 
known  in  Victoria  under  the  name  of  Barklyite.  On  the 
whole,  the  red  Corundum  is  far  rarer  in  Australia  than  the 
blue  Corundum  ;  and  the  same  rule  holds  good  in  many 
other  localities,  the  Ruby  being  rarer  and  therefore  more 
prized  than  the  Sapphire. 

Mr.  G.  Skelton  Streeter,  who  has  recently  returned 
from  a  tour  among  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  saw, 
while  on  board  a  Missionary  schooner  off  New  Guinea,  a 
rough  Ruby,  said  to  have  been  obtained  from  the  natives 
of  that  island.  This  suggests  the  probability  that  the 
mineral  wealth  of  New  Guinea  may  some  day  become  of 
commercial  importance. 

The  older  poets  abound  in  passages  illustrating  the 
value  anciently  set  on  the  Ruby. 

The  price  paid  for  this  stone  by  the  Ancients  was 
very  high.  According  to  Benvenuto  Cellini,  in  his  time  a 
perfect  Ruby  of  a  carat  weight  cost  800  ecus  d’or,  whilst 
a  Diamond  of  like  weight  cost  only  100. 

At  the  present  time  Rubies  under  half  a  carat 
weight,  if  English  cut,  cost  from  £ 4  to  £10  per  carat; 
and  if  Indian  cut,  £  1  to  £4.  Those  over  a  carat  in 
weight  are,  according  to  the  quality,  worth  from  £ 20 
to  ,£100  per  carat:  but  no  definite  price  can  be  given 
as  a  guide  to  the  purchaser.  No  stone  increases  so 
much  in  value,  in  relation  to  size — all  excellencies  being 
the  same — as  the  Oriental  Ruby.  One  of  less  than 
24  carats  weight,  the  property  of  an  Indian  prince, 


The  Oriental  Ruby. 


163 


was  bought  for  156  lbs.  weight  of  gold.  Indeed,  the 
Ruby  ranks  for  price  and  beauty  above  all  other  stones. 
When  a  perfect  Ruby  of  five  carats  is  brought  into  the 
market  a  sum  will  be  offered  for  it  ten  times  the  price 
given  for  a  Diamond  of  the  same  weight  ;  but  should  it 
reach  the  weight  of  10  carats  it  is  almost  invaluable. 

There  are  some  very  celebrated  and  historical  Rubies 
still  on  record.  For  example,  one  of  the  size  of  a 
pigeon’s  egg  in  the  Russian  Regalia  was  presented  to 
the  Empress  Catherine  by  Gustavus  III.  of  Sweden,  when 
on  a  visit  to  St.  Petersburg,  in  1777.  Chardin  speaks 
with  admiration  of  a  Ruby  cut  en  cabochon,  of  great 
beauty,  and  of  the  size  and  form  of  half  an  egg,  having 
the  name  of  “  Thelk  Lephy  ”  engraved  on  the  end. 

In  the  Exhibition  of  1851  there  were  two  engraved 
Rubies  belonging  to  the  Hope  Collection,  one  representing 
the  head  of  Jupiter-Serapis,  the  other  a  full-length  figure 
of  Minerva-Poliada. 

A  former  King  of  Burmah  had  a  perfect  Ruby  of  the 
size  of  a  pigeon’s  egg,  which  he  wore  as  an  ear-drop. 

The  slippers  of  Chinese  and  Indian  women  are  orna¬ 
mented  with  Rubies  en  cabochon — that  is,  with  convex, 
non-facetted  tops  ;  vases,  armour,  scabbards  and  harness, 
are  also  graced  by  the  same  stone  in  India  and  China. 
These  stones,  however,  are  of  little  value.  Bags  of  a  coarse 
kind,  little  better  than  mixed  dust  are,  indeed,  laid  beneath 
the  foundations  of  buildings,  the  idea  prevailing  that  good 
fortune  is  thus  secured  to  the  structure. 

The  two  most  important  Rubies  ever  known'in  Europe, 
were  brought  into  this  country  during  the  year  1875.  One 
was  a  rich-colored  stone,  cushion-shape,  weighing  37 
carats,  the  other,  a  blunt,  drop  shape,  of  47xg  carats. 

It  was  deemed  advisable  to  have  these  stones  re-cut ; 
and  the  work  was  entrusted  to  the  late  Mr.  J.  N.  Forster, 


164 


The  Oriental  Ruby. 


of  London,  who  re-cut  the  stone  of  37  carats  to  32^,  and 
the  one  of  47  carats  to  38^.  They  were  much  improved 
thereby,  and  competent  judges  pronounced  them  the 
finest  stones  of  their  size  yet  seen,  the  color  being  truly 
magnificent.  The  smaller  stone  of  the  two,  it  is  affirmed, 
was  sold  abroad  for  above  £  10,000  ;  the  larger  one,  it  is 
stated,  found  a  purchaser  on  the  Continent  at  £  20,000. 
The  fact  of  two  such  fine  gems  appearing  contempo¬ 
raneously  is  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  Precious  Stones 
in  Europe.  It  is  questionable,  however,  if  the  London 
market  would  ever  have  seen  these  truly  royal  gems  but 
for  the  necessities  of  the  Burmese  Government.  In 
Burmah  the  sale  of  these  two  Rubies  caused  intense 
excitement,  a  military  guard  being  considered  necessary 
to  escort  the  persons  conveying  the  package  to  the  vessel. 
Two  such  Rubies  are  not  to  be  found  in  any  European 
regalia. 

Rubies  with  flaws,  or  with  specks  of  a  milky  appear¬ 
ance  on  the  table  or  beneath  it,  and  Rubies  of  too  deep 
or  too  light  a  color,  are  now  much  depreciated  in  value. 
In  former  years,  when  the  inferior  stones  could  be  sold  in 
the  foreign  markets,  they  were  worth  at  least  50  per  cent, 
more  than  they  are  at  the  present  time. 

There  are,  it  is  true,  many  large  Rubies  still  to 
be  met  with,  and  this  statement  may  seem  to  contradict 
the  above  assertion,  but  these  are  by  no  means  of 
the  same  value  as  the  Burmese  Rubies.  They  come  from 
Siam,  and  have  a  distinctly  dark  brown  tint,  marring  the 
true  “  pigeon’s  blood  ”  hue.  This  variety  does  not  realise 
anything  approaching  the  price  obtained  for  Rubies  of  the 
same  size  of  the  true  color. 

The  Ruby  is  occasionally  approached  so  closely  both 
in  color  and  general  appearance  by  the  Spinel,  or  even 
by  the  Garnet  and  Pink  Topaz,  as  to  render  examina- 


The  Oriental  Ruby. 


165 


tion  by  the  eye  alone  very  unsatisfactory.  The  use  of  the 
dichroiscope,  however,  renders  the  distinction  a  matter  of 
certainty.  This  instrument  enables  us  to  see  whether  the 
gem  possesses  the  property  of  dichroism — that  is,  of  exhi¬ 
biting  two  distinct  colors,  or  tints,  when  viewed  from 
different  directions.  Gems  belonging  to  the  Cubic  system 
of  crystallization  do  not  exhibit  this  property,  while  in 
those  belonging  to  any  of  the  other  systems  this  diversity 
may  often  be  detected,  when  examined  by  the  dichroiscope, 
be  the  stone  ever  so  perfect  and  uniform  in  color  to  the  un¬ 
assisted  eye.  Since  both  the  Spinel  and  the  Garnet  belong 
to  the  Cubic  or  Tesseral  system,  they  display  no  dichroism, 
whereas  the  Ruby,  which  belongs  to  the  hexagonal  system, 
is  invariably  dichroic.  The  typical  Ruby,  of  pigeon’s-blood 
colour,  when  examined  by  the  dichroiscope,  exhibits  one 
image  of  an  aurora-red  color,  while  the  other  is  carmine. 


Oriental  Ruby. 


Composition  ... 

Specific  Gravity 
Hardness 

System  of  Crystallization  . . . 
Form  ... 


Alumina. 

4- 

9,  or  slightly  under. 
Hexagonal. 

Double  six-sided 


pyramids,  but  usually  as  rolled  fragments. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  SAPPHIRE. 


OWEVER  great  the  beauty  of  this  gem, 
it  undoubtedly  derives  no  little  enhance¬ 
ment  of  interest  and  value  from  the  exalted 
character  of  the  comparison  with  which  it 
is  associated  in  the  Sacred  Volume.  The  Prophet  of  the 
great  captivity  compares  “  the  appearance  of  the  like¬ 
ness  of  a  throne  ”  in  the  firmament  above  the  cherubim 
to  a  “  Sapphire  Stone;”  and  generally  it  may  be  affirmed 
that  around  no  Precious  -  Stone  can  be  grouped  more 
imposing  allegories  and  properties  than  have  been 
associated  with  it. 

And  yet  it  may  be  fairly  doubted  whether  the  Sap¬ 
phire  of  the  modern  mineralogist  has  any  relation,  save 
the  possession  of  a  blue  color,  with  the  Sapphii'us  of 
ancient  writers.  It  is  certain  that  Theophrastus  and 
Pliny — our  great  authorities  on  ancient  mineralogy — in¬ 
cluded  the  Lapis-Lazuli  under  the  term  Sapphirus,  since 
they  clearly  refer  to  the  so-called  spots  of  gold  with  which 
the  stone  is  bespangled — a  description  which  in  no  way 


The  Sapphire. 


1 67 


accords  with  the  character  of  our  modern  Sapphire.  The 
Rev.  C.  W.  King  argues,  with  great  erudition  and  much 
show  of  reason,  in  favour  of  our  Sapphire  having  been  iden¬ 
tical  with  the  ancient  Hyacinthus.  Witness,  for  example, 
the  following  description  of  the  stone  by  Solinus  : — 
“  Amongst  those  things  of  which  we  have  treated  is  found 
also  the  Hyacinthus,  of  a  shining  blue  color,  a  stone  of 
price,  if  it  be  found  without  blemish,  for  it  is  extremely 
subject  to  defects.  For  generally  it  is  either  diluted  with 
violet  or  clouded  with  dark  shades,  or  else  melts  away  into 
a  watery  hue  with  too  much  whiteness.  The  best  color  of 
the  stone  is  an  equable  one,  neither  dulled  by  too  deep  a 
dye,  nor  too  clear  with  excessive  transparency,  but  which 
draws  a  sweetly-colored  tint  from  the  double  mixture  of 
brightness  and  violet.  This  is  the  gem  that  feels  the 
influence  of  the  air,  and  sympathises  with  the  heavens, 
and  does  not  shine  equally  if  the  sky  be  cloudy  or  bright. 
Besides,  when  put  into  the  mouth  it  is  colder  than  other 
stones.  For  engraving  upon,  indeed,  it  is  by  no  means 
adapted,  inasmuch  as  it  defies  all  grinding  ;  it  is  not, 
however,  entirely  invincible,  since  it  is  engraved  upon,  and 
cut  into  shape  by  means  of  the  Diamond.” 

In  this  passage  Solinus  refers  to  several  characteristics 
of  our  Sapphire,  especially  its  blue  color  and  its  extreme 
hardness.  The  Sapphire  is  in  fact,  only  a  blue  Corundum, 
and  much,  therefore,  that  was  said  under  the  head  of 
Corundum  and  Ruby,  will  apply  also  to  the  Sapphire. 

The  characteristic  color  of  the  Sapphire  is  a  clear 
blue,  very  like  to  that  of  the  blossom  of  the  little  weed 
called  the  “corn  flower,”  and  the  more  velvety  its  appear¬ 
ance,  the  greater  the  value  of  the  gem.  The  Oriental 
Sapphire  retains  its  exquisite  color  by  gas  light,  while 
that  of  the  less  valuable  specimens  becomes  dark,  not 
unlike  the  hue  of  the  Amethyst.  Pliny  knew  this  gem 


The  Sapphire . 


1 68 

well,  and,  describing  its  color,  compares  it  to  the  same 
flower.  This  peculiar  hue  has  been  imitated,  although 
the  Ancients  were  not  ready  to  admit  the  possibility  ; 
the  dark  blue  glass  of  the  Portland  vase,  with  its  dazzling 
white  bas-relief,  in  the  British  Museum,  is  a  fair  specimen 
of  this  power,  and  its  exquisite  beauty  has  attracted  a 
world-wide  renown. 

Up  to  quite  modern  times  the  Sapphire  was  regarded 
as  a  charm  or  a  medicine,  and  very  extraordinary  powers 
were  attributed  to  it.  It  was  dedicated  by  the  Greeks  to 
Apollo,  because,  when  consulting  his  oracle,  they  thought 
that  the  possession  of  this  gem,  from  its  heavenly  nature, 
would  secure  them  an  early  and  favourable  answer. 

The  Ancients  but  rarely  used  the  Sapphire  for  per¬ 
sonal  adornment,  possibly  because  of  the  difficulty  of 
manipulating  so  hard  a  stone.  When  a  fine  stone  of 
this  nature  is  cut  as  a  Brilliant,  so  that  the  lustrous 
character  is  well  displayed  it  is  very  attractive,  as  well 
as  of  high  value. 

Sapphires  were  originally  obtained  from  Arabia  and 
Persia  ;  but  for  a  lengthened  period  some  fine  large 
stones  have  been  imported  from  the  kingdom  of  Burmah. 
Some  mines  have  recently  been  discovered  in  the  pro¬ 
vince  of  Battambong,  in  Siam  ;  a  Sapphire  from  this 
locality  was  sold  in  Calcutta  for  Rs.  3,000.  Most  of  the 
stones,  however,  from  this  locality  are  too  dark  in  color. 
The  finest  Sapphires  are  found  at  Rakewana,  in  Ceylon  ; 
second  quality  stones,  principally  at  Ratnapura,  and  inferior 
stones  at  Satawaka.  The  Sapphires  from  Cashmere  are 
generally  very  milky.  A  private  firm  in  London  has 
opened  a  new  mine  in  Rakewana,  Ceylon,  from  which 
Rubies,  Sapphires,  and  Cat’s  Eyes  have  been  obtained. 

The  discovery  of  Sapphires  in  India  is  said  to  have 
taken  place  in  this  wise.  Near  the  spot  where  the  stones 


The  Sapphire. 


169 


are  found  lived  a  “  Bhot  Lamba,”  or  monk,  who  first  ob¬ 
served  a  pale  blue  vein  in  the  rock.  He  broke  off  pieces 
which  he  took  to  be  antimony,  and  exchanged  them  with 
traders  for  sugar  and  tobacco,  keeping  it  carefully  con¬ 
cealed  from  whence  he  obtained  his  treasures.  Subse¬ 
quently  he  disposed  of  a  lot  to  some  Lahoul  men,  who 
took  them  to  Simla.  He  had  one  piece  said  to  have  been 
about  a  foot  long  and  three  or  four  inches  in  circumference  ; 
this,  he  was  persuaded  by  one  of  his  brotherhood  to  give 
him,  in  order  to  have  a  “  Shib  ”  or  idol  made  of  it.  He 
then  handed  it  over  to  a  stone-cutter  to  make  into  an 
idol.  The  man  finding  how  hard  it  was,  came  to  the 
conclusion  it  must  be  of  value  ;  he  showed  it  to  an  official 
who  decided  to  send  it  and  its  owner  to  the  Maharajah  of 
Cashmere,  at  Jummoo.  On  inquiry  being  made,  a  mes¬ 
senger  was  despatched  to  bring  the  Lamba  who  had  found 
the  stone.  He  being  no  longer  able  to  keep  the  discovery 
a  secret,  described  the  place  from  which  he  obtained  it. 
The  Maharajah  immediately  sent  a  responsible  official  and 
a  strong  guard  to  protect  the  place,  until  the  actual  value 
of  the  discovery  should  be  known. 

Sapphires  are  also  found  by  the  Lacha  Pass.  A 
native  loaded  100  goats  with  them,  and  came  to  Simla 
through  Kullu,  a  journey  of  about  10  days.  Arriving  at 
Simla,  he  tried  to  dispose  of  them,  but  their  value  not 
being  recognized,  he  could  not  even  obtain  a  rupee  a  tolla 
for  them,  which  he  would  gladly  have  taken,  being  in  a 
state  of  semi-starvation.  He  then  proceeded  to  Delhi, 
where  the  jewellers,  knowing  them  to  be  Sapphires,  gave 
him  their  full  value.  Respecting  this  mine,  however, 
Major  Brown  writes  that  it  is  now  worked  out. 

The  Sapphire  is  found  in  many  parts  of  Australia, 
but  the  stones  are  usually  small  and  of  dark  color.  In  the 
wide-spread  auriferous  drifts  of  the  goldfields  of  Victoria, 


170 


The  Sapphire. 


the  Sapphire  is  by  no  means  an  uncommon  mineral. 
Probably  it  has  here  been  derived  from  the  basaltic  rocks 
which,  by  their  disintegration,  have  yielded  most  of  the 
constituents  of  the  gold-bearing  gravels.  The  Sapphire  is 
also  widely  distributed  in  New  South  Wales,  where  it 
occurs  with  other  gems  in  the  form  of  small  rolled  pebbles, 
associated  in  many  cases  with  alluvial  gold. 

In  North  America  Sapphires  in  six-sided  prisms,  have 
occasionally  been  found,  as  at  Amity  in  New  York,  where 
they  occur  in  association  with  granular  limestone. 

In  Europe  the  Sapphire  is  found  on  the  Iser  Moun¬ 
tains  in  Bohemia.  The  river  Iser  having  a  very  rapid 
current,  carries  with  it,  in  the  soil,  the  Sapphires  and 
other  Precious  Stones,  and  often  deposits  them  on  its 
shores,  far  away  from  their  original  home.  In  the  Sieben- 
Gebirge  small  Sapphires  are  found  with  gold  in  the  sand. 
In  Saxony  they  occur  embedded  in  alluvium  ;  specially  is 
it  so  in  the  Saxon  Switzerland.  The  European  Sapphires, 
however,  are  of  no  commercial  importance. 

Amongst  the  celebrated  Sapphires  is  that  which  was 
seen  by  the  English  ambassador,  who  was  sent  to  Ava. 
It  was  said  to  be  951  carats  in  weight,  of  a  beautiful  blue, 
and  without  a  flaw.  In  the  collection  of  minerals  in  the 
Jardin  des  Plantes,  in  Paris,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
Blue  Sapphires,  weighing  133^  carats,  without  a  spot  01- 
fault.  This  stone  was  originally  found  in  Bengal  by  a 
poor  man  ;  it  subsequently  came  into  the  possession  of  the 
House  of  Raspoli,  in  Rome,  who,  in  their  turn,  left  it  to  a 
German  prince,  who  sold  it  to  the  French  jewel  merchant, 
Perret,  for  £6, 800. 

The  most  important  Sapphires  known  in  Europe  are 
two  magnificent  stones  which  were  exhibited  in  the  London 
Exhibition  of  1862,  and  in  the  Paris  Exhibition  of  1867. 
The  larger  is  a  stone  of  a  somewhat  oval  form,  of  a  dark, 


The  Sapphire. 


I7i 

slightly  inky,  color,  free  from  defects.  It  weighs  about 
252  carats,  and  was  cut  from  the  rough  by  Mr.  Loop  in 
1840.  The  other,  although  a  smaller,  is  a  richer  colored 
stone.  It  was  brought  to  this  country  from  India  (Indian 
cut)  in  the  year  1856.  In  its  original  form  it  was  a  badly- 
shaped  stone  weighing  225  carats  with  a  large  yellow  flaw 
at  the  back,  which  marred  the  stone  by  casting  a  green 
reflection  into  it.  It  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  late 
Mr.  J.  N.  Forster,  who  re-cut  it,  removed  the  defects  and 
made  it  a  splendid  gem  of  165  carats.  This  is  by  far  the 
finest  Sapphire  of  its  size  in  Europe.  It  was  recently 
sold  in  Paris,  and  is  estimated  to  be  worth  from  £y, 000  to 
£8,000. 

An  announcement  appeared  in  the  Ceylon  Times  of 
December,  1878,  that  a  Blue  Sapphire  had  recently  been 
found  at  Ratnapura  (the  City  of  Gems),  in  Ceylon> 
weighing  2\  pounds,  or  about  4,500  carats,  and  that  it  was 
reported  to  be  pure,  and  of  admirable  color.  This  descrip¬ 
tion  is  not  authenticated  by  connoisseurs  who,  on  inspection, 
pronounce  the  stone  to  be  of  a  very  pale  blue,  irregular  in 
shape,  and  much  marred  by  flaws  and  dirt.  It  remains  in 
the  possession  of  a  “  Headman  ”  at  Palmadulla,  about 
eleven  miles  from  Ratnapura. 

Notwithstanding  the  extreme  hardness  of  the  Sapphire, 
there  are  some  beautifully  engraved  specimens  still  in 
existence.  In  the  Cabinet  of  Strozzi,  in  Rome,  is  a 
Sapphire,  a  masterpiece  of  art,  with  the  profile  of  Hercules 
engraven  on  it,  by  Cnei'us.  A  very  remarkable  and 
famous  Sapphire,  belonging  to  the  Marchese  Rinuccini, 
weighing  fifty-three  carats,  has  a  representation  of  a 
hunting  scene  engraven  upon  it,  with  the  inscription,  “  Con- 
stantius  Aug.”  Among  a  number  of  old  family  jewels 
was  recently  found  a  Sapphire  beautifully  engraved  with 
the  crest  and  arms  of  Cardinal  Wolsey. 


172 


The  Sapphire. 


In  the  Hope  Collection  was  a  large  and  valuable  Sap¬ 
phire  of  a  rich  blue  velvet  colour,  which  retains  its  beauty 
as  well  by  candle  as  by  daylight,  Another,  in  the  Orleans 
Collection,  was  called  in  Madame  de  Genii’s  tale  “Le 
Saphir  Merveilleux.” 

The  value  of  these  stones  is  very  much  determined 
by  special  circumstances  and,  like  the  Diamond,  the  color, 
purity,  and  size  must  be  taken  into  consideration  when  fixing 
the  sum  to  be  paid.  Fine  Sapphires  under  one  carat  in 
weight,  if  English  cut,  vary  from  £^  to  £1 2  ;  if  Foreign  cut, 
£2  to  £5  ;  those  of  a  carat  weight,  £12  to  £2$.  Sapphires 
do  not  necessarily,  like  the  Ruby,  rise  in  price,  as  they 
increase  in  size. 

A  perfect  Oriental  Sapphire  weighing  between  two 
and  three  carats  is  as  costly  as  a  good  Diamond  of  like 
weight.  Those  imperfections  which  appear  at  times  in 
the  Sapphire,  and  which  lessen  its  value,  are  clouds, 
milky  half-opaque  spots,  white  glassy  stripes,  rents, 
knots,  a  congregating  of  colors  at  one  spot,  and  silky¬ 
looking  flakes  on  the  table  of  the  stone.  Whenever  a 
Sapphire  obtains  a  purple  tint  it  is  an  unfailing  indication 
of  the  presence  of  the  silky  defect  somewhere  in  the  stone. 
If  a  greenish  tint  be  observable,  then  “  milky  flaw  ”  will  be 
detected  on  careful  examination  of  the  stone. 

Varieties  of  the  “Doublet”  and  “Triplet”  (that  is, 
counterfeit  stones,  composed  either  of  two  pieces  of  crystal, 
with  a  colored  glass  between  them,  or  of  thin  layers  of 
true  stone  facing  inferior  crystal  so  as  to  appear  but  one 
stone),  are  passed  not  unfrequently  for  Sapphires.  They 
may  be  distinguished  from  the  genuine  stone,  partly  by 
their  color,  but  more  especially  by  a  careful  examination 
of  the  girdle,  when,  should  the  Sapphire  have  been  joined 
to  an  inferior  stone,  the  attempted  deception  will  be 
detected. 


The  Sapphire. 


173 


MM.  Fremy  and  Feil,  of  Paris,  have  succeeded  of 
late  years  in  preparing  artificial  Sapphires  and  Rubies, 
resembling  the  true  gems  not  merely  in  their  physical 
characters,  but  even  in  chemical  composition.  Never¬ 
theless,  they  lack  the  play  of  color  and  brilliancy  of  the 
real  stone. 


Sapphire. 

Composition  ...  ...  ...  Alumina. 

Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  4. 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  9. 

System  ofi  Crystallization  ...  Hexagonal. 

Form  ...  ...  ...  ...  Double  six-sided 

pyramids  ;  usually  as  rolled  crystals  or  pebbles. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  EMERALD. 


HIS  Precious  Stone  belongs  to  an  altogether 
different  class  from  those  already  described, 
inasmuch  as  the  bases  of  the  Ruby,  the  Sap¬ 
phire  and  the  Diamond  were  either  aluminium 
or  carbon,  whereas  the  basis  of  the  Emerald  is  quite  an¬ 
other  substance,  though  still  one  of  the  most  common  of 
Earth’s  productions — a  substance  known  to  chemists  as 
silica.  The  silica  is  itself  an  oxide  of  an  element  termed 
silicon ,  which  is  closely  related  in  many  ways  to  carbon.  In 
the  Emerald  the  silica  is  combined  with  the  oxides  of  two 
metals— one  of  them  being  aluminium ,  the  basis  of  the 
Ruby  and  Sapphire  ;  while  the  other  is  an  exceedingly  rare 
metal,  known  as  glucinum  or  beryllium.  The  former  name  is 
derived  from  the  sweet  taste  of  some  of  its  compounds — 
the  Greek  word  for  “  sweet  ”  being  gliikus — and  the  latter 
it  receives  from  its  occurrence  in  the  Beryl.  Just  as  it  was 
shown  that  the  Ruby  and  the  Sapphire  are  identical,  save 
in  color,  so  the  chemist  has  found  that  the  Emerald,  the 
Beryl,  and  the  Aquamarine  are  practically  the  same 


The  Emerald. 


175 


mineral,  the  distinctions  between  the  three  varieties  being 
due  to  differences  of  color  and  other  characteristics  of 
only  trivial  value  to  the  chemist,  while  they  agree  in  their 
fundamental  constitution. 

That  the  true  Emerald  was  known  to,  and  held  in 
estimation  by,  the  Ancients  may  be  not  unfairly  inferred 
from  the  fact  that  ornaments  of  Emeralds  have  been 
excavated  from  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum  ;  that  similar 
ornaments  have  been  dug  up  from  the  ruins  of  Old 
Rome,  and  have  also  been  found  on  Egyptian  mummies. 
Although  Gesenius  does  not  admit  that  the  words  translated 
in  Exodus  and  elsewhere,  Emerald,  really  described  the 
modern  gem,  yet  the  beautiful  green  mineral  so  called 
was,  as  some  mummies  prove,  employed  as  an  Egyptian 
ornamental  stone  at  the  time  Moses  wrote  that  book. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  ancient  Egyptians  worked 
the  Emerald  to  a  very  large  extent.  Pliny  alludes  to 
some  old  Emerald  mines  near  the  Arabian  Sea,  and  M. 
Caillaud  discovered  these  ancient  workings  when  sent  by 
the  Viceroy  or  Pasha  of  Egypt  on  an  exploring  mission. 
He  found  many  of  the  caves  or  mines  so  large  that  400 
men  could  work  together  in  them  ;  and,  that  they  had  been 
used  of  old,  he  deduced  from  seeing  there  ropes,  levers, 
lamps,  and  tools  of  various  kinds,  besides  many  vessels. 

Pliny  further  states  that  the  Emerald  stood  high  in  the 
estimation  of  the  Ancients,  and  some  confirmation  of  this  is 
derived  from  an  old  Hebrew  tradition  that  if  a  serpent  fixes 
its  eyes  on  an  Emerald  it  becomes  blind.  In  the  Bible 
the  rainbow  is  said  to  be  “  like  unto  an  Emerald.” 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  many  ancient  writers 
confounded  under  the  general  term  Smaragdus  several 
distinct  minerals  of  green  color,  such  as  true  Emerald, 
green  Jasper,  Malachite,  Chrysocolla,  green  Fluor  Spar, 
and  perhaps  even  green  glass. 


176 


The  Emerald. 


If  we  admit  that  Pliny  does  at  times  confound  his 
Smaragdus  with  other  gems,  yet  what  real  doubt  can 
exist  about  the  antiquity  of  the  genuine  Emerald  and  its 
anciently  acknowledged  value,  when  the  very  spot  pointed 
out  by  Strabo  as  an  Emerald  mine,  the  narrow  space 
which  separates  the  Nile  from  the  Red  Sea,  is  the  situa¬ 
tion  of  the  mine  of  which  M.  Caillaud  wrote: — “I  was 
about  to  re-ascend,  disappointed  at  having  made  no  dis¬ 
covery,  when  amidst  the  masses  of  mica  I  perceived  a 
hexahedral  Emerald  prism;”  and  he  adds  that  “seven 
leagues  from  Mount  Gebarah  the  Egyptian  Emerald  is 
found  embedded  in  lodes  of  black  micaceous  clay  slate.” 
There  is  to  this  day  as  potent  and  operative  a  mesh  of 
superstition  guarding  these  ancient  mines  as  in  the  days  of 
Cleopatra  I.  The  mines  were  re-opened  and  worked 
under  Mohammed  Ali ;  but,  not  proving  remunerative, 
were  ultimately  closed. 

According  to  Pliny,  the  most  celebrated  Emerald 
mines  in  former  times  were  in  the  rocks  round  and 
about  Coptos  ;  and  the  stones  obtained  from  this  region 
were  admired  for  their  brilliant  sheen.  Mohammed 
Ben  Mansur  (13th  century)  describes  the  Emerald  mines 
as  being  on  the  borders  of  the  land  of  negroes,  and  yet 
belonging  to  the  kingdom  of  Egypt,  the  stones  found  there 
being  dug  out  of  talc  and  red  earth.  De  Laet  thinks  that 
the  same  region  supplied  Emeralds  as  late  as  the  17th 
century. 

We  read  that  Nero  and  Domitian  used  Emeralds 
as  ornaments  for  their  dress.  Democritus  of  Thrace  was 
famous  for  the  art  of  imitating  the  Emerald.  Seneca  tells 
us  that  Democritus  could  put  the  fire  and  color  of  an 
Emerald  into  a  common  pebble. 

Isidorus,  Bishop  of  Seville  (640  A.D.),  says  of  the 
Emerald,  “  that  it  surpasses  in  its  greenness  all  green 


The  Emerald. 


1 77 


stones,  and  even  the  leaves  of  plants,  and  that  it  imparts 
to  the  air  around  it  a  green  shimmer ;  that  its  color  is 
most  soothing  to  the  eyes  of  those  engaged  in  cutting  and 
polishing  the  stone.” 

That  the  green  color  of  the  Emerald  was  recognized 
long  ago  as  being  refreshing  to  weak  eyes  is  seen  by  refer¬ 
ence  to  Pliny’s  gossiping  pages : — “  If  the  sight  hath  been 
wearied  and  dimmed  by  intentive  poring  upon  anything 
else,  the  beholding  of  this  stone  doth  refresh  and  restore 
it  again.” 

Psellos,  in  the  I  ith  century,  says  of  the  Emerald, 
“  that  it  is  leek  green,  playing  easily  into  gold  and  blue  ; 
and  that  it  has  power,  when  mixed  with  water,  to  heal 
leprosy  and  other  diseases.” 

Pliny  relates  in  illustration  of  the  radiancy  and  lustre 
of  the  stone  to  which  he  gives  the  name  of  Smaragdiis 
“  that  in  the  island  of  Cyprus  there  is  placed  on  the  tomb 
of  King  Hermias  a  lion  sculptured  in  marble,  and,  for 
the  eyes,  Emeralds  were  let  in,  which  shone  so  brightly  on 
the  surrounding  sea  that  the  ‘  tunny  fish  ’  were  frightened 
away,  and  that  the  fishermen,  observing  this  with  dismay, 
removed  the  Emeralds  from  the  lion,  and  replaced  them 
by  common  stones  not  having  so  much  brilliancy.”  It  is 
not  likely  that  a  stone  of  such  beauty  and  value  as  the 
Emerald  would  be  used  to  represent  eyes  in  a  large  statue 
in  the  open  air  ;  and  we  are  driven,  therefore,  to  the  con¬ 
clusion  that  it  was  some  other  mineral  of  a  green  color — 
probably  a  green  copper  ore,  such  as  Malachite,  since  ores 
of  copper  were  common  in  Cyprus,  while  the  true  Emerald 
is  unknown  there,  notwithstanding  the  frequent  reference 
of  certain  writers  to  the  Cyprian  Smaragdus. 

Prescott,  in  his  “  Conquest  of  Mexico,”  writes  as 
follows  (vol.  i.,  p.  125)  -“The  age  of  iron  has  followed 
that  of  brass,  in  fact  as  well  as  in  fiction.  They  found  a 

M 


178 


The  Emerald. 


substitute  in  an  alloy  of  tin  and  copper,  and,  with  tools 
made  of  this  bronze,  could  cut,  not  only  metals,  but, 
with  the  aid  of  a  siliceous  dust,  the  hardest  substances, 
as  Basalt,  Porphyry,  Amethysts,  and  Emeralds.  They 
fashioned  these  last,  which  were  found  very  large,  into 
many  curious  and  fantastic  forms.”  Elsewhere  (vol.  i i i . , 
p.  214),  in  describing  certain  spoils,  he  mentions  a  large 
Emerald  “  cut  in  pyramidal  shape,  of  so  extraordinary  a 
size,  that  the  base  was  as  broad  as  the  palm  of  the  hand.” 
And  in  another  place  (p.  287)  mention  is  made  of  fine 
Emeralds  of  a  wonderful  size  and  brilliancy.  These  had 
been  cut  by  the  Aztecs  into  the  shapes  of  flowers, 
fishes,  and  other  fantastical  forms,  “  which  Cortes  gave  to 
Doha  Juana  de  Zunigar,  on  his  second  marriage,  causing 
jealousy  to  the  then-reigning  Queen.” 

In  the  Manka  Valley  of  Peru  the  natives  appear  to 
have  paid  divine  homage  to  a  magnificent  Emerald  of  the 
size  of  an  ostrich  egg,  which  they  named  the  goddess 
of  Emeralds.  The  priests  enhanced  the  value  by  dis¬ 
playing  it  on  high  festivals  only,  when,  it  was  alleged, 
Emeralds  were  peculiarly  acceptable  to  the  idol,  and  thus 
the  temple  came  into  possession  of  a  vast  number  of 
these  costly  gems,  which  on  the  discovery  of  Peru  by  the 
Spaniards  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  conquerors  ;  but 
Pizarro  and  his  followers,  knowing  nothing  of  the  fragility 
of  the  gem,  broke  many  to  fragments,  supposing  they 
would  possess  the  adamantine  property  of  the  Diamond 
or  Ruby.  There  has  been  doubt  thrown  on  this  goddess 
of  Emeralds,  many  suggesting  that  it  was  more  probably 
a  Beryl,  or  perhaps  an  Aquamarine,  which,  though  closely 
allied  to,  is  not  identical  with,  the  true  Emerald. 

After  the  discovery  of  Peru,  Emeralds  became  less 
rare  in  Europe,  and  jewellers  and  lapidaries  much  pre¬ 
ferred  the  Peruvian  stones  ;  hence  the  most  beautiful  of 


The  Emerald. 


179 


Emeralds  are  always  called  Peruvian  or  Spanish  Emeralds. 
Joseph  D'Acosta,  who  himself  visited  the  Emerald  mines 
of  New  Granada  and  Peru,  said  that  at  first  these  stones 
came  to  Europe  in  such  numbers,  that  on  the  ship  in 
which  he  returned  from  America  to  Spain,  in  1587,  were 
two  chests,  each  containing  one  cwt.  of  Emeralds.  Most 
of  the  Emeralds  now  come  from  Santa-Fe  and  the  valley 
of  Tunka  between  the  mountains  of  New  Granada  and 
Popagan. 

In  the  mineral  cabinet  of  the  Duke  of  Devonshire,  at 
Chatsworth,  is  a  magnificent  crystal  of  South  American 
Emerald,  which  was  exhibited  in  the  Great  Exhibition  of 
1851.  It  is  a  six-sided  prism,  about  two  inches  in  length, 
and  weighs  8  ozs.  18  dwts. 

The  tiara  of  Pope  Julius  II.  contained  an  Emerald 
somewhat  above  an  inch  in  length  and  one-and-a-quarter 
thick.  It  was  in  the  shape  of  a  short  cylinder,  rounded  at 
one  of  its  extremities.  This  was  found  probably  some¬ 
where  between  Ethiopia  aud  Egypt. 

There  appears  to  have  been  in  a  private  collection  an 
Emerald  engraved  with  the  head  of  Anacreon  of  very  pure 
and  rich  color.  Another,  which  was  worn  in  Tippoo 
Sahib’s  turban,  of  fine  light  green  tint,  was  cut  so  cleverly 
with  facets  as  to  add  greatly  to  its  brilliancy. 

The  Emerald  is  found  crystallized  in  low  six-sided 
prisms  or  columns,  without  striations,  like  those  of  Beryl, 
and  without  any  inclination  to  the  cylindrical  form.  It  is 
sometimes,  though  not  often,  found  in  pebbles  or  grains. 
The  color  varies  from  what  is  called  Emerald-green,  to 
grass-green,  and  greenish-white.  Subjected  to  the  dichroi- 
scope,  its  color  is  resolved  into  a  yellowish-green  and  a 
bluish-green. 

The  variety  of  opinion  as  to  the  source  of  the  beau¬ 
tiful  color  of  the  Emerald  is  very  interesting.  According  to 


i8o 


The  Emerald. 


most  authorities  it  owes  its  beauty  to  the  chromium 
which  it  contains.  On  the  other  hand,  M.  Lewy,  who 
analysed  with  great  care  the  Emeralds  from  the  Muzo 
mines  of  New  Granada,  found  that  they  contained  organic 
matter  in  the  form  of  some  hydro-carbon,  a  simple  com¬ 
bination  of  carbon  and  hydrogen,  and  that  the  intensity 
of  the  color  depended  upon  the  amount  of  this  organic 
matter  contained  in  the  Emerald.  The  green  pigment  of 
the  Emerald  was  supposed  by  him  to  be  similar  to  the 
coloring  matter  of  leaves  called  chlorophyll.  Of  pro¬ 
toxide  of  chromium  he  found  but  i  per  cent.  Blum,  ex¬ 
perimenting  upon  the  Emerald,  exposed  this  stone  for 
four  minutes  to  an  intense  heat,  and  then  threw  it  into 
water,  the  consequence  of  which  was  that  it  fell  into 
several  pieces,  some  of  which  were  of  a  black,  and  others 
of  a  greenish  tint.  The  conclusions  of  M.  Lewy  have 
not,  however,  been  verified  by  other  chemists  ;  and  the 
experiments  of  Mr.  Greville  Williams  and  others  rather 
tend  to  shew  that  the  green  coloring  matter  of  the  Emerald 
is,  after  all,  an  oxide  of  chromium. 

The  cleavage  of  this  stone  is  in  four  directions,  but  it 
must  be  borne  in  mind  in  its  manipulation  that  the 
cleavage  parallel  to  the  terminal  plane  is  alone  perfect,  the 
other  three  being  imperfect.  Its  fracture  is  conchoidal 
and  uneven,  and  its  lustre  is  vitreous. 

It  has  been  considered  doubtful  if  Emeralds  have  ever 
been  found  in  India  ;  those  in  possession  of  individuals  are 
not  in  the  rough  state,  although  they  appear  to  have  been 
manipulated  by  native  lapidaries,  and  if  they  come  to 
the  Western  markets  require  re-cutting.  The  Emerald  is 
said,  however,  to  have  been  found  as  recently  as  1 8 1 8  in 
Madras,  in  a  vein  or  dyke  of  coarse  granite,  consisting  of 
quartz,  felspar,  garnet,  and  mica.  It  is  also  reported  from 
two  or  three  other  localities  in  India,  but  not  to  any 


The  Emerald. 


iSs, 

extent,  or  of  fine  quality ;  indeed,  we  can  never  look  upon 
India  as  the  home  of  the  Emerald.  There  is  no  reason 
to  doubt  that,  in  Burmah,  Emeralds  have  from  time  to 
time  been  picked  out  of  the  sand  or  beds  of  small  rivers 
mixed  with  gold  and  Spinel.  The  Sultan  of  Oude  pre¬ 
sented  the  Queen  with  an  Emerald  as  large  as  a  moderate¬ 
sized  hen’s  egg. 

In  China,  bordering  on  Siberia,  valuable  deposits  of 
Emeralds  are  said  to  exist. 

The  Ural  and  Altai  Mountains  have  of  late  years 
furnished  true  Emeralds.  The  first  stone  was  found  acci¬ 
dentally,  in  1830,  by  a  charcoal  burner,  at  the  root  of  a 
tree  on  the  east  side  of  the  Ural.  This  discovery  led 
directly  to  the  regulated  working  of  the  bed,  which  yielded 
in  the  first  year  some  fine  specimens — one  of  the  extra¬ 
ordinary  weight  of  101J  carats;  but,  unfortunately,  the 
yield  gradually  decreased.  Very  fine  crystals  of  Emerald 
are  found  in  mica-schist  at  Stretnisk,  on  the  river  Takowja, 
which  lies  to  the  north  of  Katherinenburg,  on  the  Asiatic 
slope  of  the  Urals.  The  Emerald  is  there  worked  com¬ 
mercially. 

The  mineral  also  occurs  in  the  mountains  of  the 
Sahara,  the  beds  being  of  mica- slate,  and  in  the  bed  of 
the  River  Harrach,  in  Algeria,  where  it  joins  the  River 
Oued  Bouman.  In  the  latter,  Emerald-crystals  have  been 
found  in  white  lamellated  limestone. 

The  only  European  locality  yielding  good  crystals  of 
Emerald  is  the  Heubachthal,  in  Salzburg,  where  the 
mineral  occurs  embedded  in  mica-schist,  much  in  the  same 
way  in  which  it  is  found  on  the  Ural  Mountains. 

But  the  most  celebrated  Emerald  mines  of  the  world 
at  the  present  day  are  those  of  Muzo,  situated  in  50  39' 
50"  N.  latitude,  and  76°  45'  W.  longitude  (from  Paris), 
about  75  miles  N.N.W,  of  Santa  Fe  de  Bogata,  They 


1 82 


The  Etner aid. 


were  discovered  by  Lanchero  in  1555,  but  the  Spaniards 
did  not  commence  working  until  1568.  They  are  now 
worked  by  a  company,  who  pay  an  annual  rent  to 
the  Government,  and  employ  120  workmen.  Workings 
were  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  and 
it  was  rumoured  that  fires  had  broken  out,  and  that 
the  mines  were  unsafe.  It  was  not  until  1844  that 
active  operations  were  resumed.  About  that  time  a 
Colombian  named  Paris— after  whom  the  rare  mineral 
Parisite  was  christened — got  out  some  fine  stones  and 
sold  them  for  large  sums  in  Europe  and  in  the  United 
States.  A  French  company  was  afterwards  formed,  and 
during  the  Empire  all  the  finest  stones  went  direct  to  the 
Paris  market. 

The  great  Muzo  mine  has  the  form  of  a  tunnel  of 
about  too  yards  deep,  with  very  inclined  walls.  On  the 
summit  of  the  mountains,  and  quite  near  to  the  mouth  of 
the  mine,  are  large  lakes,  whose  waters  are  shut  off  by 
means  of  water-gates,  which  can  be  easily  shifted  when 
the  laborers  require  the  water.  When  the  waters  are  freed 
they  rush  with  great  rapidity  down  the  walls  of  the  mine, 
and  on  reaching  the  bottom  of  it  they  are  conducted  by 
means  of  an  underground  canal  through  the  mountain 
into  a  basin.  The  matrix  of  the  Emerald  is  a  bituminous 
limestone,  rich  in  carbon,  deposited  on  red  sandstone  and 
clay  slate,  and  believed  to  be  of  Neocomian  age.  To 
obtain  the  Emeralds  the  workmen  begin  by  cutting  steps 
on  the  inclined  walls  of  the  mine,  in  order  to  make  firm 
resting-places  for  their  feet.  The  overseer  places  the  men 
at  certain  distances  from  each  other,  to  cut  out  a  wide 
step  with  the  help  of  pickaxes.  The  loosened  stones  fall 
by  their  own  weight  to  the  bottom  of  the  mine.  When 
this  begins  to  fill,  a  sign  is  given  to  let  the  waters  loose, 
which  rush  down  with  great  vehemence,  carrying  the 


The  Emerald. 


183 


fragments  of  rock  with  them,  through  the  mountain,  into  the 
basin.  This  operation  is  repeated  until  the  horizontal 
beds  are  exposed,  in  which  the  Emeralds  are  found.  The 
Emeralds  are  sometimes  accompanied  by  beautiful  crys¬ 
tals  of  iron-pyrites,  and  now  and  then  by  crystals  of 
Parisite.  An  Emerald  is  not  unfrequently  found  in  frag¬ 
ments  which,  when  placed  together,  form  one  beautiful 
crystal.  It  has  been  conjectured  that  in  the  course  of 
formation  the  stone  became  divided,  and  yet  each  part 
continued,  when  separated,  its  crystallization.  Another 
remarkable  circumstance  is  that  the  Emeralds  break 
shortly  after  being  separated  from  the  matrix.  This  is 
sometimes  prevented  by  a  little  foresight,  viz.,  by  placing 
the  stones  in  a  vessel  for  some  days,  and  protecting  them 
from  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

There  has  lately  been  opened  another  mine,  the 
Esmeralda,  geologically  related  to  the  Muzo,  about  two 
leagues  distance  from  it,  but  of  the  returns  we  are  unable 
to  speak. 

The  Santa  Rosa  mines,  situated  not  far  from  Muzo, 
have  been  inspected  by  a  competent  authority,  since  it 
was  considered  doubtful  whether  they  yielded  true 
Emeralds.  He  gives  it  as  his  decided  'opinion,  that 
stones  are  so,  and  writes  thus  “  Judging  by  the  geolo¬ 
gical  formation,  which  is  the  same  as  at  the  Muzo  mine, 
and  by  its  being  only  two  leagues  distant  from  it,  and  by 
the  river  Minero  separating  it  from  the  Cosney  mines, 
which  yielded  very  good  Emeralds  up  to  the  last  century, 
when  they  were  abandoned  by  the  Spaniards,  and  also  by 
the  rich  vein  he  had  before  him  being  identical  with  other 
rich  veins  with  which  he  was  acquainted — added  to  a 
tradition  that  Emeralds  had  been  found  in  the  Santa 
Rosa  forests  at  different  periods  —he  had  no  hesitation  in 
asserting  that  it  was  a  real  mine.”  The  crystallization  of 


184 


The  Emerald. 


these  stones  is  generally  pure,  and  their  color  improves  in 
proportion  to  the  depth  they  are  worked.  These  mines  are 
most  advantageously  situated,  having  “  dominant  waters” 
(streams  running  from  above),  in  abundance.  The  river 
Minero  bathes  the  feet  of  these  mines  which,  if  properly 
utilized,  is  of  great  service  in  keeping  them  free  from 
tailings.  But  the  proper  working  entails  an  immense 
amount  of  expense,  and  it  is  only  within  the  scope  of 
of  companies,  and  not  of  private  individuals,  that  the 
necessary  outlay  can  be  obtained,  in  order  to  procure  a 
favorable  result. 

The  value  of  an  Emerald  depends  greatly  upon  its 
color  ;  for  example, — 

A  light  color,  almost  white,  is  worth  5/-  a  carat. 

Lightest  green  ...  ...  ...  20/-  „ 

A  fair  body  of  color  ...  ...  100/-  „ 

Good  color,  with  flaws,  from  ^10  to  £25  „ 

Pure  color  and  clear  ...  ^30  to  ^40  „ 

Very  fine  dark  color,  velvetyA 

and  without  flaws,  as  high  >  ,£50  to  £60  ,, 

as  ...  ...  ...  ...) 

This  last,  however,  is  very  rare.  Perhaps  there  is  no 
stone  which  suffers  more  than  the  Emerald  from  inequality 
of  structure,  color  and  transparency,  clouds  and  spots. 

Fashion  greatly  influences  the  value  of  the  Emerald. 
When  retained  to  enhance  the  price,  it  yields  to  the  potent 
attraction  of  other  first-class  gems,  and  the  demand  sub¬ 
sides  ;  but  when  freely  admitted  into  the  market  the  taste 
often  revives. 

Emerald. 

Composition — Silica  ...  ...  ...  68 

Alumina  ...  ...  18 

Glucina,  &c.  ...  ...  14 


100 


The  Emerald. 


185 


It  also  contains  magnesia,  and  traces  of  other  metallic 
oxides,  especially  chromic  oxide. 

Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  ...  ...  27 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  7^5 

System  ...  ...  ...  ...Hexagonal. 

Form  Hexagonal  and  di-hexagonal  prisms. 


CHAPTER  V. 


SPINEL  AND  BALAS  RUBIES. 


NDER  the  generic  name  Spinel  several 
minerals  are  included,  as  the  Spinel  Ruby, 
the  Balas  Ruby,  the  Pleonaste,  or  Ceylonite, 
Candite,  and  other  less  valuable  varieties. 

Differing  among  themselves  in  color  and  other  trivial 
characteristics,  they  all  agree  in  possessing  approximately 
the  same  chemical  composition.  They  are,  in  fact,  alumi- 
nates  of  magnesia,  or  compounds  of  alumina  and  magnesia, 
associated  with  small  and  variable  proportions  of  other 
metallic  oxides,  such  as  those  of  chromium  and  iron,  to 
which  the  colors  are  probably  due. 

Few  minerals  enjoy  a  wider  range  of  color  than  the 
Spinel.  Among  its  varied  tints  we  may  mention  carmine, 
red,  reddish-brown,  rose-red,  various  tints  of  orange, 
indigo  blue,  green,  purple,  puce,  violet,  and  even  white 
and  yellow.  Some  varieties  are  opaque  and  dark-colored, 
or  even  black,  but  these  have  no  value  as  ornamental  stones. 
Indeed,  it  is  only  the  so-called  Precious  Spinel,  which  is 
of  use  to  the  jeweller.  By  ancient  writers  the  Red  Spinels 
were  probably  included,  with  several  other  stones,  under 
the  general  name  of  Carbuuculus, 


Spinel  and  Balas  Rubies. 


187 


Thh  Precious  Spinel  is  found  either  detached,  as 
loose  pebbles,  or  embedded  in  granular  limestone,  or  in 
granite  rocks.  In  Burmah,  Pegu,  Ceylon,  and  Badakshan 
it  occurs  in  well-formed,  sharp-angled  crystals  which  are 
regular  octahedra.  In  deep  water-courses,  subject  to 
irregular  inundation,  it  is  found  as  rolled  crystals,  accom¬ 
panied  with  Zircon,  Garnet,  and  magnetic  iron  ore. 

In  North  America,  between  Amity,  in  New  York,  and 
Andover,  in  New  Jersey,  some  crystals  of  extraordinary 
magnitude  have  been  found,  measuring  16  inches  in  diame¬ 
ter,  in  company  with  granular  limestone  and  Serpentine  ; 
but  these  are  not  the  precious  variety  used  in  jewelry. 

Its  form,  which  is  generally  that  of  the  regular  octa¬ 
hedron,  enables  it  to  be  readily  distinguished  from  the 
true  or  Oriental  Ruby,  with  which  it  has  occasionally  been 
confounded.  It  may  also  be  readily  distinguished  by  its 
inferior  hardness,  and  specific  gravity.  In  these  respects, 
however,  it  is  similar  to  the  Topaz,  from  which  it  widely 
differs  in  its  optical  properties. 

A  pecularity  of  Spinel  is  that  the  light  which  is 
reflected  from  the  depth  of  the  gem,  no  matter  what  the 
color  of  the  stone,  is  always  of  a  pale  yellow.  The  lustre 
is  vitreous,  and  the  gem  displays  every  degree  of  trans¬ 
parency.  The  refraction  is  simple.  It  is  rendered  electric 
by  friction,  but  not  by  heat ;  differing  in  the  latter  respect 
from  Topaz,  which  is  distinctly  pyro-electric. 

One  of  the  finest  specimens  of  Blue  Spinel,  a  thickish 
oblong  stone,  was  not  long  since  in  the  possession  of 
Messrs.  Pittar,  Leverson  and  Co.  It  was  an  Indian-cut 
stone,  weighing  31 J  carats.  On  its  arrival  it  was  re-cut  by 
the  late  Mr.  J.  N.  Forster,  of  London,  and  weighed,  after 
re-cutting,  25  carats.  There  is  a  strange  history  attached 
to  this  stone  :  it  was  consigned  from  India  as  a  Sapphire ; 
subsequently  it  was  found  to  be  a  Spinel,  whereupon  the 


iSS 


Spinel  ami  BaJas  Rubies. 


purchaser  returned  it  to  the  merchant,  who  at  once  wrote 
to  the  consignor  in  India,  but  the  statement  was  not 
believed.  The  merchant  determined  to  have  it  cut,  and 
afterwards  sold  it  for  a  much  larger  sum  than  it  had  been 
valued  at  as  a  Sapphire. 

In  the  Exhibition  of  1862  there  were  two  very  fine 
Spinels ;  one  from  India  was  cut  en  cabochon ,  forming  an 
octagon-shaped  stone,  of  perfect  color,  and  free  from  flaws. 
It  weighed  197  carats.  This  was  cut  by  the  late  Mr.  J.  N. 
Forster  to  an  81 -carat  “  perfection  stone.”  The  other  Spinel 
was  also  an  octagon-shaped  stone,  of  perfect  color,  very 
“spread,”  and  free  from  flaws.  It  weighed  102^  carats,  and 
and  was  re-cut  by  Mr.  Forster,  weighing  after  cutting  72^ 
carats.  It  is  strange  that  both  these  stones  arrived  from 
India  in  the  same  year,  viz.,  1861.  One  specimen  obtained 
by  Dr.  Heron  is  said  to  have  weighed  49  lbs. ;  it  is  now  in 
three  pieces,  and  contains  cavities  studded  with  crystals  of 
Corundum. 

Spinels  of  different  kinds  are  found  with  other  gem¬ 
stones,  in  the  alluvial  gravels  of  Ceylon,  in  Pegu,  and 
in  Siam.  The  mineral  also  occurs  in  Afghanistan  in 
crystalline  micaceous  limestone,  and  in  Badakshan,  in  a 
red  sandstone. 

There  are  famous  mines  of  Balas  Rubies  at  Badakshan 
in  Usbekistan,  a  part  of  Tatary.  The  mines  were  known 
to  the  Emperors  of  Delhi.  They  are  near  the  Oxus,  not 
far  from  Shighnan.  There  is  a  belief  among  the  natives 
that  two  large  Rubies  always  lie  near  each  other  :  thus  it 
is  that  the  fortunate  finder  of  the  one  hides  it  until  he  has 
found  a  twin  stone  ;  failing  this,  they  are  said  to  break 
the  large  one  in  order  to  keep  up  the  superstition.  There 
is  a  belief  also  that  the  Ruby  is  the  product  of  some 
transmutation  of  limestone. 

Spinels  are  found  in  the  Ovens  River,  in  Victoria, 


Spinel  and  Balas  Rubies. 


189 


while  in  New  South  Wales  they  are  by  no  means  un¬ 
common  in  auriferous  deposits,  as  on  the  Cudgegong,  Peel, 
Macquarie,  Severn  and  other  rivers,  where  gem-stones  are 
found  as  roiled  pebbles  in  the  gravels. 

In  Meronitz,  in  Bohemia,  little  rose-red  crystals 
occur  in  company  with  Pyrites  ;  the  mineral  is  found  also 
in  Transylvania,  in  gold  sands.  At  Aker,  in  Sweden, 
pale-blue  and  grey  varieties  occur  embedded  in  limestone. 
None  of  these  are  of  any  value  to  the  jeweller. 

The  Balas  or  Balais  Ruby,  is  a  pale-red,  or  rose-red 
Spinel,  with  a  tinge  of  blue  appearing  at  the  angles  of  the 
octahedron,  which  gives  it  a  milky  kind  of  shimmer  and 
depreciates  its  value.  The  color  is  probably  due  to 
chromic  acid.  The  name  “  Balas  ”  or  “  Balaksh  ”  applied 
to  this  stone,  is  said  to  be  a  corruption  of  Badakshan,  one 
of  the  localities  which,  as  stated  above,  yields  the  Spinel. 

Rubicelle  is  a  name  sometimes  applied  to  the  orange- 
red  Spinel,  while  the  violet-colored  variety  is  occasionally 
called  Almandine  Spinel. 

Pleonaste  is  an  opaque  black  variety,  which  was  called 
Ceylonite,  by  Rome  d’l’Isle,  who  analyzed  it  with  a  number 
of  other  crystals  brought  from  Ceylon.  It  was  Haiiy  who, 
seeing  its  form  resembled  that  of  the  Spinel,  desired  to 
give  it  a  special  position  in  his  system  of  minerals,  and 
named  it  Pleonaste ,  which  signifies  superfluity.  Further 
investigation  showed  that  it  was  in  reality  a  black  Spinel. 
This  has  the  best  cleavage  of  the  whole  class,  being  easily 
cleaved  parallel  to  the  faces  of  the  octahedron.  It  may  con¬ 
tain  as  much  as  20  per  cent,  of  protoxide  of  iron.  It  is 
found  in  Ceylon,  Russia,  Norway,  Bohemia,  and  at  Monte 
Somma  ;  but  is  never  used  as  an  ornamental  stone. 

The  transparent  Spinels,  in  consequence  of  their 
lustre,  color,  and  hardness,  are  used  for  personal  ornament, 
and  for  objects  of  luxury  ;  but  it  is  only  when  the  crystals 


Spinel  and  Balas  Rubies. 


190 


are  fine  and  large  that  they  are  considered  gems.  In 
cutting  it  receives  the  same  form  as  the  Ruby. 


In  the  inventory  of  the  French  C 

rown  Jewels,  in  the 

year  1791,  we  find  the  following 

: — 

One  Spinel  Ruby  of 

5 6f  carats 

...  .£2,000 

One 

4f 

>> 

£12 

One  „ 

0  3 

>> 

£12 

One  Balas  Ruby 

20| 

...  £400 

One  „ 

I2| 

n 

£■120 

At  the  present  time  small 

stones 

range  from  5/-  to 

10/-  a  carat ;  medium  stones,  of  fair  color,  20/-  to  40/-  ; 
large  stones,  60/-  to  100/-.  Specimen  stones  attain  even 
a  higher  value. 

The  Balas  Ruby  varies  much  in  price  ;  for  example,  a 
dark  rose-red  of  about  two  carats  weight,  square-cut,  and 
polished  as  a  Brilliant,  pure  and  lustrous,  will  sell  for  £12, 
while  a  pale-rose  of  like  size  will  be  worth  only  a  few 
shillings.  Occasionally  a  fine  specimen  of  five  carats  will 
realize  £50  to  £  100. 


Spinel. 

Composition — Alumina  ...  ...  72 

Magnesia  ...  ...  28 

100 


Specific  Gravity — 

Varies  from  3‘5 9  in  an  Aurora  Red 
specimen  to  371  in  one  of  Indigo  blue 
color,  (Church). 

Hardness...  ...  ...  ...  8 

System  ...  ...  Isometric  or  Cubic. 

Form  ...  Octahedron,  and  as  rolled  pebbles. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  OPAL. 


ICOLS  gives  a  quaint  description  of  this  lovely 
stone.  Hesays,  “The  Opal  isa  Precious  Stone 
which  hath  in  it  the  bright,  fiery  flame  of  the 
Carbuncle,  the  fine,  refulgent  purple  of  an 
Amethyst,  and  a  whole  sea  of  the  Emerald’s  green  glory  ; 
and  every  one  of  them  shining  with  an  incredible  mixture 
and  very  much  pleasure.”  Boetius  describes  it  as  “  the 
fairest  and  most  pleasing  of  all  other  jewels,  by  reason  of 
its  various  colors.”  Cardanus  says,  “I  bought  one  for  15 
crowns,  which  gave  me  as  much  pleasure  as  a  Diamond  of 
Sooaureos.”  Onomacritus,  writing  500  years  B.C.,  remarks, 
“  The  delicate  color  and  tenderness  of  the  Opal  reminds 
me  of  a  loving  and  beautiful  child.”  According  to  Pliny, 
“  It  is  made  up  of  the  glories  of  the  most  precious  gems, 
and  to  describe  it  is  a  matter  of  inexpressible  difficulty.” 

In  all  these  notices  of  the  Opal,  prominence  is  natur¬ 
ally  given  to  the  brilliant  play  of  rainbow  tints  which 
renders  this  stone  unique.  Although  possessing  no  color 
which  can  properly  be  called  its  own,  it  exhibits  flashes  of 


IQ2 


The  Opal. 


the  most  vivid  hues.  This  is  probably  the  result  of  the 
number  of  fissures  which  traverse  it,  the  light  being  decom¬ 
posed  by  the  delicate  striations  on  the  walls  of  these  micro¬ 
scopic  crevices,  thus  giving  rise  to  the  optical  phenomena 
known  as  “  diffraction.”  In  some  varieties  the  colors  are 
more  or  less  evenly  distributed,  and  one  set  of  shades  will 
predominate  in  one  part  of  the  stone,  and  other  colors  in 
another  part  ;  or  the  distinct  tints  will  run  in  parallel 
bands.  In  other  specimens  the  colors  are  made  up  of 
small  regular  angular  patches  of  every  hue,  and  these 
polychromatic  stones  are  known  as  Harlequin  Opals. 

The  Opal  is  a  non-crystalline  mineral.  When  first 
taken  out  of  the  earth  it  is  not  very  hard,  but  subse¬ 
quently,  by  exposure  to  the  air,  its  hardness  is  increased: 
nevertheless,  it  always  remains  a  very  soft  stone  compared 
with  other  gems.  Before  the  blow-pipe  the  Opal  is  infusi¬ 
ble,  but  the  water  driven  off  by  heat  renders  it  opaque.  It 
has  the  curious  property  of  improving  by  moderate  warmth, 
which  brings  out  the  brilliant  tints  for  which  the  Opal  is 
famed. 

Several  kinds  of  Opal  are  known  to  the  mineralogist. 
Most  of  it  is  destitute  of  beauty,  and  hence  useless  to  the 
jeweller.  This  is  known  as  Common  Opal.  Other  speci¬ 
mens  present  translucency,  but  no  color  ;  these  are  dis¬ 
tinguished  as  Semi-Opal.  Certain  Opals  from  Zimapan,  in 
Mexico,  possess  a  bright  orange-red  tint,  and  are  used  to  a 
limited  extent  as  an  ornamental  stone  under  the  name  of 
Fire-Opal.  But  the  beautiful  variety  which  is  familiar  to 
every  one  by  its  unique  colors,  and  always  retains  its 
beauty,  is  distinguished  as  Precious  or  Noble  Opal. 

The  Precious  Opal,  used  in  bijouterie,  is  found  prin¬ 
cipally  in  Hungary.  It  was  called  Oriental  Opal  by  the 
Greek  and  Turkish  merchants,  who  obtained  it  from  the 
celebrated  mines  of  Czerwenitza,  and  carried  it  to  the  East 


The  Opal. 


193 


for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  title  Oriental  to  it,  which 
always  conveyed  a  sense  of  goodness  and  value  to  stones. 
If  Opal  were  of  Oriental  production,  it  would  be  a  some¬ 
what  singular  fact  that  Dhuleep  Singh,  on  re-visiting  that 
Empire,  carried  two  Opals  to  his  mother  as  a  gift  that 
should  bear  the  charm  of  novelty. 

The  mountain  range  in  Hungary,  where  the  Opal  is 
found,  consists  mainly  of  a  kind  of  porphyry,  which  likewise 
yields  lead,  silver,  and  gold  ;  and,  near  the  Czerwenitza 
district,  traces  of  quicksilver  also  occur.  The  two  highest 
mountains  of  this  range  are  Simonka  and  Libanka,  and  it 
is  from  these  that  the  Precious  Opal  comes.  There  seems 
no  doubt  that  the  Opal  mass,  originally  in  a  liquid  or 
gelatinous  condition,  filled  up  the  cavities  in  the  porphyry 
veins  and  was  gradually  solidified. 

This  stone  is  also  found  in  Honduras,  in  the  Depart¬ 
ment  of  Gracias.  Most  of  this  American  Opal  is  more 
transparent  and  less  fiery  than  that  from  Hungary,  but 
the  conditions  of  its  occurrence  are  very  similar  in  the  two 
localities. 

Of  late  years  Precious  Opal  of  singular  beauty  has 
been  found  in  Queensland,  occurring  as  thin  veins  in 
brown  ironstone  on  the  Baracorra  River.  Indeed,  the 
opal-mines  of  Queensland  bid  fair  to  rival,  at  no  distant 
day,  the  far-famed  depositories  of  this  gem  in  Hungary. 

Opals  have  also  been  found  in  New  South  Wales,  and 
in  many  other  localities  ;  but  in  most  cases  they  are  too 
thin  and  imperfect  to  be  of  any  value.  Some  new  Opal 
ground  has,  however,  recently  been  discovered,  which 
promises  to  be  really  remunerative.  Among  several  speci¬ 
mens  brought  into  the  market,  is  a  solid  angular  cream- 
colored  variety  on  which  great  reliance  is  placed. 

The  Opal  is  cut  and  polished  first  upon  a  leaden  plate 
covered  with  emery,  next  on  a  wooden  wheel  with  fine 

N 


194 


The  Opal. 


pumice  powder,  and  lastly  on  a  wheel  covered  with  felt. 
Delicate  handling  is  requisite  to  turn  out  an  Opal  to  the 
best  advantage. 

The  work  of  engraving  the  Opal  requires  great  care 
on  account  of  its  numberless  fissures,  which  it  is  dangerous 
to  open  to  the  air  :  yet  there  are  some  fine  engraved  Opals 
in  existence.  The  oldest  example  is  an  intaglio,  on  a 
moderately  large  Opal,  of  the  portrait  of  Louis  XIII. 
when  he  was  a  child  ;  and  the  head  of  Juba  is  engraved 
upon  an  Opal  in  the  collection  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans. 

The  Queensland  Opal  is  now  largely  used  for  cameos, 
the  brilliant  colors  of  the  gem  forming  a  marked  contrast 
to  the  dark  background  afforded  by  the  ironstone  matrix. 

The  Hungarian  Opals  exhibit  a  uniform  milkiness  of 
surface,  more  or  less  iridescent.  From  their  greater  density 
they  resist  the  effects  of  wear  longer  than  any  other  sort, 
hence  their  superior  value.  The  Mexican  stones  are 
beautiful,  but  so  porous  that  if  wetted  they  become  color¬ 
less,  and  very  frequently,  after  some  little  wear,  turn 
opaque  and  brown  ;  they  have,  therefore,  but  little 
commercial  value.  A  few  years  ago  Hungarian  Opals 
were  sold  by  the  piece ;  now  they  are  sold  by  the 
carat— (i)  the  smallest  stones,  £\  to  £1  ios.  per  carat  ; 
(2)  medium  ones,  £2  to  £3  ;  (3)  larger  stones,  £3  to  £5  ; 
(4)  specimens  of  great  size  and  purity,  on  account  of  their 
extreme  rarity,  are  well-nigh  invaluable. 

There  is  a  strange  history  given  by  Pliny  of  an  Opal 
about  the  size  of  a  hazel  nut,  which  was  possessed  by 
the  Senator  Nonius,  and  was  valued  at  £20,000  of  our 
money.  Nonius,  who  was  proscribed  by  Marc  Anthony  for 
the  sake  of  this  gem,  made  his  escape,  carrying  off  the  ring 
with  him,  as  the  sole  relic  of  his  fortune.  He  preferred 
exile  with  his  Opal  to  living  in  Rome  without  it. 

The  two  largest  specimens  of  “Noble  Opal”  known  in 


The  Opal. 


195 


this  country  were  found  in  the  Hungarian  mines  in  1866  ; 
and  were  exhibited  by  the  late  Madame  Goldschmidt  in 
the  Paris  International  Exhibition  of  1867.  Both  stones 
were  of  the  “drop,”  or  pear-shape  form,  one  weighing  186 
carats,  the  other  160  carats  ;  this  latter,  a  magnificent 
“  Harlequin  Opal,”  is  reputed  on  good  authority  to  be  the 
finest  gem  of  its  class  ever  seen. 

There  is,  in  the  Imperial  Cabinet  of  Vienna,  an  Opal 
nearly  as  large  as  a  man’s  fist,  and  weighing  17  ozs. 
Perhaps  the  finest  Opal  of  modern  times  was  that  of  the 
Empress  Josephine,  which  was  called  the  “Burning  of 
Troy,”  from  the  numberless  red  flames  blazing  on  its 
surface :  the  obverse  was  opaque,  a  peculiarity  specially 
observed  in  the  Honduras  Opal. 

There  are  innumerable  superstitions  attached  to  these 
gems.  By  the  Ancients  they  were  thought  to  bestow  every 
possible  good.  In  the  middle  ages  the  same  belief  was 
held;  and  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  the 
Opal  was  much  more  valued  than  at  the  present  day.  But 
by  a  strange  freak  of  fashion  the  Opal  has  lost  its  pristine 
glory,  and  is  now  falsely  accused  of  bringing  ill-luck.  Sir 
Walter  Scott  is  in  a  great  measure  answerable  for  this,  as 
readers  of  Anne  of  Geierstein  well  know.  It  seems  strange 
that  in  this  enlightened  nineteenth  century  there  should  still 
be  people  believing  in  the  bad  fortune  supposed  to  attend 
the  wearing  of  Opals.  Yet  withal  it  is  a  favorite  stone 
with  the  Queen,  and  with  many  of  our  aristocracy,  as  also 
with  the  members  of  most  of  the  European  royal  families. 
Without  doubt  the  stone  will  ere  long  be  as  much  ap¬ 
preciated  as  it  was  in  earlier  times,  for  the  mistaken  idea 
that  ill-fortune  attends  the  wearing  of  Opals  must  inevit¬ 
ably  go  the  way  of  all  superstitions. 

There  were  some  very  valuable  specimens  of  Opals  in 
the  Hope  collection— 1st,  one  an  inch  in  length,  and  one 


The  Opal. 


196 

inch  and  three-quarters  in  width,  highly  transparent,  and 
very  rich  in  color.  The  chief  reflected  rays  were  green  and 
yellow,  interspersed  in  different  directions  with  flashes  of 
bright  blue  and  of  deep  red.  A  representation  of  Apollo’s 
head,  surrounded  by  rays  of  fire,  is  engraved  upon  it  in 
“  alto  relievo.”  In  all  probability  this  stone  is  of  great  an¬ 
tiquity.  It  may  have  been  intended  as  the  idol  symbolizing 
the  “  Sun,”  and  been  given  to  some  Persian  Temple,  dedi¬ 
cated  to  that  god  ;  but  its  transparency  intimates  a  Mexican 
origin,  whilst  the  fine  engraving  and  mounting  in  gold  and 
black  enamel  indicate  Persian  workmanship. 

The  second  specimen  is  a  translucent  emerald-green 
Opal  in  its  matrix,  from  Mexico.  It  has  the  remarkable 
property  of  becoming  quite  opaque  when  heated,  and  of 
recovering  its  translucency  on  cooling. 

BLACK  OPAL. 

This  is  a  stone  that  has  appeared  lately  in  the  market, 
and,  like  anything  new  or  uncommon,  has  been  eagerly 
sought  after.  The  ordinary  Opal  is  worth,  say  bos.  the 
carat,  if  fine,  but  its  black  brother  attains  a  higher  com¬ 
mercial  value.  Certainly  the  colors  are  very  lovely  in  these 
specimens,  yet  how  they  acquire  their  blackness  and  deep 
tints  is  questionable.  Some  other  hand  than  unassisted 
Nature  may  have  been  at  work.  Recently,  however,  a 
pure  black  or  blue-black  Opal  has  been  cut  from  the 
natural  matrix,  sent  from  Queensland.  One  black  Opal, 
the  size  of  a  hen’s  egg,  was,  not  long  since,  sold  in 
Paris  for  .£1,000.  At  present  these  stones  are  rare. 

Opal. 

Composition  ...  Silica,  with  10  to  12  per  cent,  water. 

Specific  Gravity  .,.  ...  ...  2  to  2-2. 

Hardness ...  ...  ...  ...  5-5  to  6. 

Form  ...  ...  ...  ...  Amorphous. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  TRUE  CAT’S  EYE. 
(l Chrysoberyl .) 


V&iS*  0 

,  W/-M 


UCH  confusion  exists  concerning  this  very 
curious  and  valuable  gem,  a  confusion  arising 
partly  from  the  ignorance  of  many  in  the 
trade  as  to  its  true  nature,  but  principally 
from  the  mistakes  of  those  who  have  written  about  it.  In 
mineralogical  treatises  it  is  usually  confounded  with,  and 
described  as,  a  peculiar  variety  of  quartz,  which  somewhat 
resembles  it,  but  which  is  of  little  or  no  mercantile  value, 
although  it  has  occasionally  been  sent  to  Europe  by  unscru¬ 
pulous  merchants  as  the  true  Cat’s  Eye.  This  chatoyant 
quartz  is  found  largely  in  Ceylon,  and  on  the  west  coast  of 
India,  where  it  is  known  as  “  Coast  Cat’s  Eye  :  it  occurs 
chiefly  of  various  shades  of  yellow,  or  brown.  A  greenish 
variety  is  found  near  Hof,  in  Bavaria,  and  has  lately  been 
largely  cut  as  an  ornamental  stone.  The  Quartz  Cat’s 
Eye  is  semi-transparent,  and  when  cut  in  a  convex  form 
(eu  caboclion )  shows  a  more  or  less  defined  band  of  light, 
with  a  silky  lustre,  resulting  from  a  reflection  of  the 
fibrous  grain  of  the  stone  itself,  or  more  probably  from  an 
intimate  admixture  of  asbestos — which  penetrates  the 


198 


The  Cat's  Eye. 


quartz  in  delicate  parallel  fibres.  This  Quartz  Cat’s  Eye, 
even  when  most  perfect,  cannot  be  compared  for  beauty 
with  the  real  Cat’s  Eye,  for  which,  side  by  side,  it  ought 
not  to  be  mistaken,  even  by  the  uninitiated.  It  is  at  once 
distinguished  by  its  inferior  hardness,  lower  density,  and 
want  of  brilliancy.  It  has,  like  the  Cape  and  European 
Cat’s  Eyes,  little  or  no  commercial  value.  It  may  be 
useful  to  contrast  the  characteristics  of  the  two  stones  in 
parallel  columns : — 


Description  of  true 
( Chrysoberyl)  Cat's  Eye. 


Description  of  Quartz 
Cat's  Eye. 


Color — Various  shades  of 
yellow,  brown,  and 
green,  rarely  black. 
Ray — Iridescent. 

Polish — Brilliant. 

Hardness  .  8-5. 

Specific  gravity  ...  3-8. 

Infusible  and  not  affected 
by  acids. 


Sometimes  shewing  a  beau¬ 
tiful  dichroism. 

80  alumina, 


Approxi¬ 

mate 

Chem.  Com. 


20  glucina  ; 
coloring  mat¬ 
ter  —  prot- 
oxide  of  iron. 


Color — Various  shades  of 
yellow,  greyish  green 
and  brown  only. 

Ray — Dull. 

Polish — Dull. 

Hardness  .  7. 

Specific  gravity  2'6. 

Melts  with  Soda  to  a  clear 
glass.  Soluble  in  Hydro¬ 
fluoric  Acid. 

Never  dichroic. 

/48  silicon, 

51  oxygen, 


Chem.  Com.  ' 


with  a  small 
amount  of 
oxide  of  iron 
\and  lime. 


The  true  or  Oriental  Cat’s  Eye  is  a  rare  variety  ol 
the  Chrysoberyl,  or  Cymophane — a  stone  of  extreme  hard¬ 
ness,  in  this  respect  being  only  inferior  to  the  Diamond 
and  the  Sapphire.  It  is  characterized  by  possessing  a 


The  Cats  Eye. 


199 


remarkable  play  of  light  in  a  certain  direction,  resulting, 
it  is  supposed,  from  a  peculiarity  in  its  internal  structure, 
which  appears  to  be  minutely  striated.  This  ray  of  light, 
or  “line,”  as  it  is  termed  by  jewellers,  shines  in  fine  and 
well-polished  specimens  with  a  phosphorescent  lustre. 
In  India  the  lines  of  light  are  called  “  betas,”  and  the 
price  increases  according  to  the  number  of  these 
“  betas.” 

The  true  Cat’s  Eye  (Chrysoberyl)  comes  principally 
from  Ceylon,  where  it  is  found  in  company  with  Sapphires, 
and  is  of  various  colors,  ranging  from  pale  straw-color 
through  all  shades  of  brown,  and  from  very  pale  apple- 
green  to  the  deepest  olive.  Some  specimens,  much 
sought  for  by  Americans,  are  almost  black.  The  line, 
no  matter  what  ground-color  the  stone  may  possess, 
is  nearly  always  white,  and  more  or  less  iridescent ; 
occasionally,  but  very  rarely,  however,  the  line  is  of  a 
golden  hue.  This  lustre  is  most  beautiful  when  seen  in 
full  sun-light,  or  by  gas-light,  when  the  line  becomes 
more  defined  and  vivid. 

This  gem  is  valued  principally  according  to  the  per¬ 
fection  and  brilliancy  of  the  line,  which  should  be  well- 
defined,  not  very  broad,  and  should  run  evenly  from  end 
to  end  across  the  middle  of  the  stone  The  color  does 
not  much  influence  the  value,  some  jewellers  preferring 
one  tint,  some  another.  On  the  whole,  perhaps,  the  most 
popular  colors  are  the  clear  apple-green  and  dark  olive  : 
both  of  these  form  a  splendid  back-ground,  and  contrast 
well  with  the  line.  It  is  quite  impossible  to  give  any 
satisfactory  scale  of  values  for  this  gem,  its  estimation 
depending  much  on  personal  appreciation  and  taste  :  a 
ring-stone  may  be  worth  from  £10  to  £  100,  or  even  more  ; 
and  there  are  large  specimens  at  present  in  the  market, 
which  are  worth  upwards  of  £1,000. 


200 


The  Cat's  Eye. 


The  Cat’s  Eye  has  become  more  and  more  fashion¬ 
able  of  late  years  in  Europe,  and  its  value  has  greatly 
increased,  the  Americans  being  the  largest  buyers. 

In  India  it  has  always  been  much  prized  ;  it  is  held 
in  peculiar  veneration  as  a  charm  against  witchcraft,  and 
is  the  last  jewel  a  Cingalese  will  part  with.  The  specimens 
most  esteemed  by  the  Indians  are  those  of  a  dark  olive 
color,  having  the  ray  so  bright  on  each  edge  as  to  appear 
double.  It  is  indeed  wonderfully  beautiful  with  its  soft, 
deep  color,  and  mysterious  gleaming  streak  ever  shifting, 
like  a  restless  spirit,  from  side  to  side  as  the  stone  is 
moved  ;  now  glowing  at  one  spot,  now  at  another.  No 
wonder  that  an  imaginative  and  superstitious  people  regard 
it  with  awe  and  wonder,  and  believing  it  to  be  the  abode  of 
some  genii,  dedicate  it  to  their  gods  as  a  sacred  stone. 

Mr.  Layard,  upwards  of  thirty  years  ago,  brought  from 
the  East  Indies  a  very  good  Cat’s  Eye,  which  was  then 
valued  at  £50  only,  but  it  would  now  be  worth  from 
£800  to  £1,000 

A  great  deal  of  so-called  Cat’s  Eye  has  of  late  years 
been  brought  from  South  Africa.  This  stone  usually 
presents  rich  golden  tints,  or  various  shades  of  brown, 
but  occasionally  offers  a  red  or  even  a  blue  color.  This 
mineral  will  be  described  at  length  under  the  heading 
“  Crocidolite.”  It  is  in  fact,  either  a  variety  of  Crocidolite 
or  a  fibrous  form  of  Quartz  replacing  that  mineral,  and 
thus  forming  what  mineralogists  call  a  pseudomorph.  This 
African  Cat’s  Eye — or,  as  it  is  sometimes  termed  Tiger’s 
Eye — has  been  brought  from  Griqualand  in  masses  of 
sufficient  size  to  be  made  into  snuff  boxes,  and  other 
ornamental  objects  ;  while  slabs  of  the  stone  have  been 
used  as  veneer  to  cover  the  tops  of  small  tables.  Flat 
slabs  are,  however,  much  less  effective  than  pieces  cut  with 
a  convex  surface, 


The  Cat's  Eye . 


201 


It  will  have  been  gathered  from  the  foregoing  remarks, 
that  no  fewer  than  four  different  stones  are  known  under 
the  name  of  Cat’s  Eye,  namely  (i),  the  fibrous  variety  of 
Chrysoberyl  ;  (2),  the  Chatoyant  Quartz  from  India;  (3), 
the  green  asbestiform  variety  from  Bavaria  ;  and  (4),  the 
brown  Crocidolite  from  South  Africa.  But  it  must  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  only  one  of  real  value  is  that  which 
has  been  described  above  as  the  true  or  Orie?ital  Cat’s 
Eye — a  fibrous  variety  of  Chrysoberyl — far  surpassing  in 
hardness  and  beauty  either  of  its  namesakes. 

Cat's  Eye. 

The  chemical  composition  and  physical  properties  of  this  stone  have 
been  described  at  p.  198. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  TURQUOISE. 


LINY  describes  under  the  name  of  Callais  or 
Callaina,  a  greenish  gem-stone,  which  has 
generally  been  regarded  as  our  modern 
Turquoise.  This  identification  is  open  to 
some  doubt,  but  it  is,  nevertheless,  the  custom  of  many 
mineralogists,  to  designate  the  Turquoise  in  scientific 
language  by  the  name  of  Callaite.  In  popular  phraseology, 
however,  the  beautiful  stone  is  invariably  called  Turquoise. 

“It  hath  its  name  Turcicus ”  (or  Turquoise),  says 
Baccius,  “  either  because  of  its  excellent  beauty,  or  because 
it  is  brought  from  the  Turks.” 

Thomas  Nicols  says,  “The  Turquoise  is  a  hard  gem, 
of  no  transparency,  yet  full  of  beauty  :  its  color  is  sky-blue, 
out  of  a  green,  in  which  may  be  imagined  a  little  milkish 
infusion.  A  clear  sky,  free  from  all  clouds,  will  most 
excellently  discover  the  beauty  of  a  true  Turquoise.”  This 
gem  is  throughout  of  the  same  beauty,  as  well  internally 
as  externally  ;  it  requires  no  help  of  tincture  or  foil  to  set 
it  off  in  grace,  the  constancy  of  its  own  beauty  being  its 
support. 


The  Turquoise. 


203 


Its  exquisite  color,  which  loses  nothing  by  candle¬ 
light,  is  no  doubt  owing  to  the  presence  of  a  certain  quan¬ 
tity  of  phosphate  of  copper.  Those  specimens  of  the 
Oriental  Turquoise  which  retain  their  color  perpetually, 
are  said  to  belong  to  the  “  Old  Rock  ;  ”  and  are  very 
scarce  ;  while  those  that  lose  their  color,  or  become  green, 
are  ascribed  to  the  “New  Rock.” 

According  to  old  writers,  the  Turquoise  was  found,  in 
their  day,  in  the  remote  parts  of  India,  and  was  conveyed 
to  Turkey  to  be  cut. 

Most  of  the  Oriental  Mineral  Turquoise  is  obtained 
now  from  the  mines  at  Ansar,  lying  30  miles  north-west 
of  Nishapur,  in  the  north-eastern  part  of  Persia,  under 
latitude  36°  28'  N.,  longitude  58°  20'  E. 

The  two  divisions  of  this  mineral  district  are  Makua 
(the  northern  port),  and  Wedj  (the  southern.) 

Mr.  Prinsep,  from  the  presence  of  certain  blue  streaks 
in  the  copper  ores  of  Rajauri  in  Ajmir,  suggested  the  pos¬ 
sibility  of  Turquoise  being  found  there.  Subsequently 
Dr.  Irvine  stated  that  it  was  reported  to  be  found  in  the 
Ajmir  hills  and  at  Ramgarti,  in  the  Shekhwati  country, 
but  this  was  probably  only  a  variety  of  copper  ore,  which 
Prinsep  called  a  Turquoise  copper  ore. 

Recent  discoveries  in  the  land  of  Midian  have  shewn 
that  three  Turquoise  mines  exist  there;  the  northern¬ 
most,  at  Aynuneh  already  worked,  the  southernmost,  near 
Ziba  (still  scratched  by  the  Arabs),  and  the  central  one 
not  known  precisely  save  to  the  Bedouins,  who  call  it 
Jebel  Shekayk. 

The  Shah  of  Persia  has  long  been  accredited  with  the 
possession  of  the  finest  Turquoises  in  existence,  for  Nis¬ 
hapur,  in  Khorasan,  the  mine  from  whence  the  most 
precious  of  these  stones  is  obtained,  is  within  his  dominions; 
and  it  is  said  the  best  Turquoise  was  invariably  picked 


204 


The  Turquoise. 


out  and  retained  by  him,  whilst  the  poorer  specimens  only 
were  permitted  to  go  into  the  market. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  Mexico  appears  now  to  be  a  for¬ 
midable  rival.  An  ancient  and  well-tried  source  of  supply 
is  now  to  be  re-established,  after  a  lapse  of  over  two 
hundred  years.  This  is  the  once  famous  Turquoise  district 
of  that  part  of  Mexico  which  some  thirty  years  ago  became 
a  territory  of  the  United  States.  Almost  all  kinds  of 
metallic  ores  are  found  there,  and  many  Precious  Stones, 
as  this  remote  region  participates  largely  in  that  mineral 
wealth  which  is  so  prominent  a  feature  of  Mexico  gene¬ 
rally  ;  but  it  was  only  in  one  mine  or  group  of  mines  that 
the  Turquoise  was  obtained.  The  workings,  however,  were 
very  productive,  but  about  two  centuries  back  a  sudden  in¬ 
undation  broke  in  upon  the  unfortunate  Indians  who  were 
working  in  the  subterranean  galleries,  and  drowned  about 
one  hundred  of  the  workmen.  So  great  was  the  destruction 
generally  that  the  enterprise  was  abandoned,  and  none  of 
the  Turquoises  which  are  so  popular  as  ornaments  have 
been  derived  from  America.  These  Mexican  stones  are 
said  to  be  very  fine  and  abundant  ;  the  Shah  may,  there¬ 
fore,  find  his  monopoly  seriously  reduced  in  value. 

Mines  of  Turquoise  are  also  known  22  miles  south¬ 
west  of  Santa  Fe.  It  is  there  found  in  little  veins  or 
nuggets,  covered  on  the  exterior  with  a  white  tufaceous 
crust ;  but  stones  of  great  commercial  value  are  compara¬ 
tively  rare,  and  many  tons  of  the  rock  may  be  crushed 
without  producing  a  single  specimen. 

The  Persian  Turquoise  occurs  in  the  form  of  thin 
veins  in  slate  rock,  and  the  people  of  Bucharest  strike  it 
off  the  matrix,  with  bullets  covered  with  moss  which  are 
thrown  from  slings,  the  rocks  being  generally  inaccessible. 
They  then  take  the  ore  to  the  market  of  Moscow,  where 
it  is  cut  and  polished. 


The  Turquoise. 


205 


We  only  know  of  Turquoise  as  compact  and  uncrys¬ 
tallized,  having  no  cleavage,  and  possessing  a  conchoidal 
fracture.  Looking  at  the  results  of  the  many  analyses  which 
have  been  made,  they  agree  in  proving  the  presence  of 
phosphate  of  alumina,  oxide  of  copper,  iron,  and  water. 
It  is  infusible  before  the  blow-pipe,  but  is  readily  affected 
by  acids.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the  true  Turquoise  was 
known  to  the  Ancients;  but  in  the  middle  ages  it  was  well 
known  and  most  highly  valued,  and  few  stones  had  such 
wonderful  gifts  and  virtues  attributed  to  them  as  this 
had.  But  to  realise  these  advantages  it  was  a  necessary 
condition  that  the  stone  should  have  been  received  as  a 
gift.  Even  to  this  day,  in  Russia,  there  is  a  proverb, 
“  That  a  Turquoise  given  by  a  loving  hand  carries  with  it 
happiness  and  good  fortune;”  and  another,  “That  the 
color  of  a  Turquoise  pales  when  the  well-being  of  the 
giver  is  in  danger.” 

The  Orientals  cut  texts  from  the  Koran  on  Turquoise, 
and  fill  in  the  characters  with  gold.  There  are  some 
very  good  specimens  of  engraved  mineral  Turquoise,  but 
they  are  neither  very  ancient  nor  many  in  number. 
Thomas  Nicols  speaks  of  one  possessed  by  the  Duke  of 
Etruria,  which  was  the  size  of  a  hazel-nut,  and  had  the 
image  of  Julius  Caesar  engraved  on  it.  There  are  two  in 
the  collection  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  on  one  of  which  is 
engraved  an  image  of  Diana,  and  on  the  other  that  of  the 
Empress  Faustina.  A  jeweller  in  Moscow  at  one  time 
possessed  a  Turquoise  two  inches  long,  cut  in  the  shape 
of  a  heart,  and  said  to  have  belonged  previously  to  Shah 
Nadir,  who  wore  it  as  an  amulet.  A  verse  from  the  Koran 
is  inscribed  upon  it  in  gold,  and  £780  was  the  price 
asked  for  it.  Capt.  Richard  F.  Burton,  in  his  book  on  “The 
Gold  Mines  of  Midian,”  makes  mention  of  a  very  fine 
Turquoise  which  he  saw  set  in  the  stock  of  a  Bedouin 


20  6 


The  Turquoise. 


matchlock,  and  notched  across  to  resemble  a  screw. 
Though  exposed  to  wear  and  tear  for  some  fifty  years/it 
had  lost  none  of  its  color. 

In  the  year  1808  a  magnificent  necklace  of  Turquoise 
was  sold  for  £360.  It  consisted  of  twelve  stones,  of  a 
beautiful  pale  blue,  none  of  which  were  of  any  great  size  ; 
but  each  of  them  was  engraved  in  relief  with  a  figure  of 
one  of  the  twelve  Caesars. 

Major  MacDonald  sent  to  the  Exhibition  of  1851  some 
fine  Turquoises  which  had  been  found  in  a  soft  yellow 
sandstone  quarry  in  the  Desert  of  Arabia  ;  but  Egyptian 
Turquoises  are  of  small  value,  because  their  color  fades 
when  exposed  to  the  light.  And  so  it  happened  with 
those  exhibited  in  1851.  One  of  them,  bought  for  a  large 
sum  of  money,  had  so  faded  within  a  year  as  to  be 
almost  worthless. 

The  Arabian  Turquoise,  though  no  longer  worked, 
was  highly  prized  by  the  ancient  Egyptians,  who  opened 
Turquoise-mines  in  the  Wady  Maghara,  in  the  Desert  of 
Sinai,  as  far  back  as  the  period  of  the  Great  Pyramids. 
The  Turquoise  occurs  there  either  in  nodules  scattered 
through  a  base  of  red  marl,  or  in  veins  running  through 
red  sandstone. 

A  remarkable  cameo  in  Turquoise,  representing  the 
head  of  Tiberius,  exists  in  Florence.  There  is  also  a  fine 
cameo  Turquoise  in  the  South  Kensington  Museum. 

Beside  the  true  Turquoise,  there  are  two  other  sub  ¬ 
stances  often  sold  for  this  stone.  One  of  these  is  Odonto- 
lite ,  or  fossil  Turquoise — the  former  name  having  reference 
to  its  origin  from  bone,  the  latter  to  the  fossil  condition 
in  which  the  bone  occurs.  The  Odontolite,  or  bone  Tur¬ 
quoise,  is,  in  fact,  nothing  more  than  the  tooth  or  bone  or 
ivory  of  the  great  extinct  elephant  called  the  Mammoth , 
whose  remains  are  brought  from  Siberia,  where  they  have 


The  Turquoise. 


20  7 


been  mostly  preserved  by  having  been  frozen  in  the  ice. 
This  fossil  Turquoise  derives  its  blue  color  from  the  phos¬ 
phate  of  iron,  or  Vivianite ,  with  which  it  is  impreg¬ 
nated.  It  is  easily  distinguished  from  the  mineral  or  true 
Turquoise,  by  emitting  an  odour  when  gently  heated.  It 
is,  also,  softer  and  more  opaque  than  true  Turquoise.  It 
differs  entirely  from  the  mineral  in  composition  and 
original  structure,  and  it  rarely,  if  ever,  loses  its  color. 
The  bony  structure  may  be  detected  under  the  microscope. 
Abroad  the  fossil  is  more  valued  than  in  England,  in  con¬ 
sequence  of  its  freedom  from  outward  change,  but  it  is 
not  so  valuable  as  the  Rock  Turquoise. 

The  other  mineral  often  mistaken  for  Turquoise  is 
Callainite — a  substance  which  far  more  closely  resembles 
the  true  gem  than  does  the  Odontolite.  It  is,  however,  of 
a  lighter  color,  and  has  not  the  peculiar  optical  properties 
of  the  Turquoise.  The  Turquoise  has  a  translucency 
peculiarly  its  own,  reflecting  light  from  under  its  surface  ; 
it  also  easily  receives  a  brilliant  polish.  The  Callainite, 
on  the  contrary,  is  a  duller  stone,  not  so  vivid  nor  so  fine 
in  color.  Some  of  it  has  lately  been  found  in  working  a 
railway  in  Mexico/ 

It  has  been  noticed  by  Bernal  Deaz,  Torquinado,  and 
others,  that  the  Calconite  of  the  ancient  Mexicans  is 
closely  allied  to  the  Rock  Turquoise  ;  and  the  Spaniards 
found  that  this  “  green  stone  ”  was  highly  esteemed  for 
personal  ornaments  and  for  the  temples  of  the  gods.  It  was 
relatively  more  valuable  than  gold ;  and  an  ear-ring  of 
Turquoise  was  deemed  a  fair  exchange  for  a  mule. 

Beads  and  other  ornamental  objects  in  a  greenish 
mineral  much  resembling  Turquoise  have  occasionally 
been  unearthed  from  the  ancient  sepulchral  monuments 
with  which  the  land  of  Brittany  abounds.  About  twenty 
years  ago  M.  Damour,  the  eminent  French  chemist, 


2oS 


The  Turquoise. 


analysed  some  specimens  from  near  Lockmariaker,  in 
the  Morbihan,  and  finding  them  to  be  a  phosphate  of 
alumina,  of  green  color,  identified  them  with  Pliny’s 
Callais,  and  suggested  a  revival  of  the  old  name.  Dana 
afterwards  proposed  for  this  substance  the  modified  Plinian 
name  Callaiuite ,  but  more  recent  researches  have  proved 
its  identity  with  the  mineral  called  by  Breithaupt  Variscite. 

True  Tu rquo ise. 

Chemical  Composition — 


Phosphorus  pentoxide 

32-8. 

Alumina 

40-2. 

Water 

I9'2. 

Copper  oxide 

5*3- 

Iron  and  manganese  oxides 

2-5. 

100.0. 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  ...  6. 

Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  ..  275. 

Form  ...  ...  ...  ...  Amorphous. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

ASTERIAS,  OR  STAR  STONES. 


HE  Orientals  have  ever  entertained  a  peculiar 
veneration  for  the  Asteria,  whether  classed, 
in  deference  to  its  color,  as  Star  Sapphire, 
Star  Ruby,  Star  Topaz,  or  otherwise. 

The  localities  whence  most  of  these  gems  are  derived 
are  the  same  as  the  homes  of  the  Sapphire  and  its  cognate 
crystals.  The  Asterias  form,  indeed,  a  variety  rather  than 
a  separate  class,  and  from  their  rarity  and  striking  charac¬ 
teristics  challenge  the  superstition  of  the  imaginative  Euro¬ 
pean  no  less  than  the  Oriental. 

When  a  bright  light  impinges  on  the  Asteria,  six 
diverging  rays  become  reflected  from  its  surface,  and  these 
constitute  the  speciality  of  the  stone.  To  display  this 
six-rayed  star  to  advantage,  the  stone  should  be  cut  en 
cabochon ,  or  with  a  convex  surface,  so  that  the  centre  of 
the  star  may  correspond  with  the  apex  of  the  dome.  The 
convexity  of  the  gem  apparently  intensifies  the  reflection. 
The  cause  of  the  asteiism  is  to  be  sought  in  the  internal 
structure  of  the  crystal  ;  all  the  star-stones  exhibiting  a 
peculiarly  laminated  texture,  and  generally  presenting, 

O 


210 


Asterias ,  or  Star  Stones. 


on  the  basal  plane,  a  system  of  fine  striations  related  to 
the  direction  of  the  three  lines  of  light,  which  form  by 
their  intersection  the  chatoyant  star.  The  color  of  the 
Asteria  is  commonly  a  greyish  blue  ;  but  deep  blue,  red, 
and  other  specimens  are  occasionally  found. 

Only  of  late  years  have  they  been  of  any  value  in 
England.  In  Ceylon,  but  a  few  years  back,  they  could 
have  been  purchased  at  low  prices,  as  the  natives  had  but 
little  regard  for  them.  The  finest  Star  Ruby  lately  seen 
was  valued  at  £200 ;  it  is  in  the  possession  of  a  private 
gentleman,  who  obtained  it  from  a  noted  collection.  If  a 
pair  of  these  stones  could  be  obtained  their  value  would 
undoubtedly  be  largely  augmented.  The  price  of  these 
gems  is  mainly  determined  by  their  size  and  quality  ;  small 
Star  Sapphires  range  from  £2  to  £10  \  large  Sapphires, 
£  10  to  £  100.  Star  Rubies  obtain  higher  prices  ;  but  Star- 
stones,  of  a  secondary  rank,  are  of  little  or  no  value. 

The  River  Sangaris — according  to  Plutarch — pro¬ 
duced  a  gem  called  Aster,  which  was  luminous  in  the 
dark,  and  was  known  to  the  Phrygians  as  Ballen ,  or  “  The 
King.”  A  gem  called  “  Asterites,”  found  inside  a  huge 
fish  called  “  Pan,”  from  its  resemblance  to  that  god,  is  also 
described  by  Ptolemy  Hephaestion.  This  stone  was  said  to 
be  a  potent  love-charm,  and,  when  exposed  to  the  sun,  shot 
forth  flames.  It  was  used  by  Helen  of  Troy  for  her  own 
signet,  and  to  it  she  attributed  all  her  conquests.  The  term 
Asteria  has  been  used  by  different  authors  in  various  senses 
at  various  times ;  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  Pliny 
understood  by  it  the  same  gem  that  we  do  now.  A  pur¬ 
plish  Star-Sapphire  was  known  to  Pliny  as  the  Ceraunia , 
or  “  Lightning-stone,”  and  probably  the  same  stone  was 
termed  Astrapia  (lightning-stone),  names  given  to  it  from 
its  supposed  power  of  sending  out,  as  it  were,  flashes  of 
lightning,  diverging  from  the  centre.  {King.) 


Asterias,  or  Star  Stones. 


2 1 1 


Two  perfectly  transparent  Star-Rubies,  having  charac¬ 
teristic  six-rayed  reflections,  were  recently  received  from 
Ceylon,  but  though  apparently  counterparts  of  each  other, 
they  arrived  in  Europe  by  different  channels.  These  fine 
specimens  did  not  remain  long  in  the  market,  as  they  were 
extremely  rare,  and  consequently  highly  coveted. 

In  the  Hope  Collection  there  were  six  Asterias  of 
high  character — (i)  an  Oriental  Star-Ruby  of  oval  shape 
weighing  29  carats  ;  (2)  a  Star-Sapphire,  oval,  weighing 
58^  carats,  with  a  ruby  tinge  springing  from  the  centre  and 
radiating  to  the  edges — the  specks  on  the  surface  appearing 
to  be  due  to  octahedral  crystals  of  iron  sulphide  ;  (3)  a 
Star-Sapphire  weighing  ij\  carats,  with  a  mixture  of  blue 
and  pale  pink,  which  gave  the  stone  a  lilac  hue ;  (4)  a 
Star-Emerald  cut  flat,  with  a  slanting  edge  :  it  stands 
alone  for  rarity  ;  (5)  a  Star-Aquamarine,  from  Ireland,  of 
bluish  color,  opaque  ;  (6)  a  Star-Garnet  ff  of  an  inch  in 
length  and  wide  ;  the  slender  rays  are  visible  only 
when  viewed  sideways,  but  each  ray  then  appears  to  be 
composed  of  two  lines. 


Asteria. 


Composition — A 1  u  m  i  na 

98-5. 

Ferric  Oxide 

I'O. 

Lime... 

0-5. 

locro 

Specific  Gravity 

4. 

Hardness 

9. 

System  of  Crystallization  ... 

Hexagonal. 

Form — Single  and  double  hexagonal  pyramids  ;  more 
often  as  water-worn  and  fractured  pebbles. 


SECTION  IV. 


PRECIOUS  AND  SEMI-PRECIOUS  STONES, 

Of  less  value  than  those  described  in  the  foregoing  pages. 


It  is  deemed  advisable  to  arrange  these  Stones  in  alpha¬ 
betical  order,  without  expressing  any  opinion  as  to  their  relative 
value. 

The  coloured  plate  opposite  represents  several  of  these 
stones,  shewing  their  crystalline  form,  which  it  is  hoped  may  serve 
as  a  guide  to  those  who  are  interested  in  the  study  of  gems. 


CHAPTER  I. 
THE  AGATE. 


Y  the  term  Agate  we  understand  a  compo¬ 
site  substance,  an  association  of  certain 
siliceous  or  quartz-like  minerals,  which  in 
texture,  in  color,  and  in  transparency  are 
diverse  one  from  another.  These  Agate-forming  minerals 
are  chiefly  Chalcedony,  Carnelian,  Jasper,  Quartz,  and 
Amethyst.  Two  or  more  of  these,  forming  a  variegated 
stone,  and  usually  presenting  a  diversity  of  spots  and 
stripes,  may  be  denominated  an  Agate.  The  name  is 
derived  from  the  river  Achates,  in  Sicily,  now  known  as 
the  Drillo  in  the  Val  de  Noto,  wherein,  according  to 
Theophrastus,  the  ancient  Agates  were  found,  in  his  time. 

The  Agate  is  occasionally  found  in  veins,  as  in  cer¬ 
tain  localites  in  Saxony  and  Bohemia,  but,  as  a  rule,  it 
occurs  in  the  form  of  nodules  embedded  in  an  amygda- 
loidal  rock,  more  or  less  akin  to  basalt. 

On  the  decomposition  of  the  amygdaloidal  Agate¬ 
bearing  rock,  the  enclosed  Agates,  by  reason  of  their 
resistance  to  the  disintegrating  effects  of  weather,  remain 
behind  as  nodules ;  hence  Agates  are  frequently  found 
loose  in  the  beds  of  rivers. 


214 


The  Agate. 


Various  theories  have  been  propounded  from  time  to 
time,  for  the  purpose  of  explaining  the  origin  of  the  Agate 
nodules  in  the  cavities  of  the  rocks  wherein  they  occur. 
The  cavities  themselves  have  unquestionably  resulted  from 
the  imprisonment  of  gas  bubbles,  whilst  the  rock  was  in  a 
molten  condition.  The  Agate-bearing  rock  is,  in  most 
cases,  an  ancient  lava.  The  nodules  of  Agate  are  con¬ 
sidered  to  result  from  the  crystallization,  or  non-crystalline 
deposition,  of  silica,  from  a  solution  with  which  the  cavity 
of  the  nodule  or  geode  became  filled.  The  silica — now  in 
one  condition,  such  as  Jasper,  now  in  another,  such  as 
Chalcedony,  and  then  again  in  the  crystallized  form  of 
Quartz — was  deposited  over  the  irregular  inner  surface, 
giving  rise  to  those  concentric  markings  which  are  seen  on 
the  sections  of  most  Agates.  This  deposition  of  silica 
would  continue  until  the  geode  became  filled  so  as  to  form 
a  solid  Agate,  or  the  inlets  of  infiltration  became  stopped  up, 
or  the  supply  of  siliceous  solution  failed.  In  other  cases  the 
the  silica  would  be  deposited  around  the  cavity  in  concen¬ 
tric  layers,  while,  after  a  time,  owing  to  some  change  in 
the  natural  conditions,  the  silica  might  be  deposited  in 
layers  on  the  floor  of  the  cavity,  in  obedience  to  gravita¬ 
tion,  and  the  various  colored  bands  would  then  run  parallel 
to  each  other  in  horizontal  layers,  thus  giving  rise  to 
Riband  Agate. 

According  to  certain  fancied  similitudes,  which  the 
Agate  Stone  displays  to  things  in  common  use,  it  receives  a 
distinguishing  name.  Thus  Riband  Agate  exhibits  strata 
or  layers  of  different  colors  which  play  one  into  the  other. 
If  the  stripes  of  varied  hues  converge  towards  the  centre,' 
it  receives  the  name  of  Circular  Agate ;  and  if  in  this 
centre  there  are  other  colored  points,  it  is  called  Eye  Agate. 
When  the  variously  colored  bands  are  disposed  in  an 
angular  pattern,  suggestive  of  the  plan  of  a  polygonal 


Tke  Agate. 


215 


fortress,  it  is  called  Fortification  Agate.  In  Rainbow 
Agate  the  stripes  form  a  bow,  presenting  the  colors  of  the 
Iris  when  the  stone  is  held  towards  the  sun  or  a  strong 
light  ;  the  thinner  the  stone  the  more  this  peculiarity  is 
noticeable. 

In  speaking  of  Oriental  and  Occidental  Agate,  we 

conventionally  understand  that  all  the  most  beautiful  and 
translucent  sorts  belong  to  the  Oriental,  and  the  less 
valuable  to  the  western  variety. 

Although  very  fine  Agates  are  found  in  India,  our 
chief  supply  is  derived  from  South  America.  In  the  bed 
of  the  Rio  Pardo,  the  Taquarie,  and  other  rivers  in  Uru¬ 
guay,  Agate  nodules  are  found  in  considerable  quantity, 
and  often  of  large  size.  These  are  generally  known  as 
“  Brazilian  Agate,”  and  are  largely  exported  to  the 
polishing  mills  of  Germany.  These  mills  are  situated 
mainly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Oberstein,  on  the  Nahe, 
a  tributary  to  the  Rhine  at  Bingen.  The  location  of  the 
Agate  industry  in  this  district  was  originally  determined 
by  the  occurrence  of  Agates  in  the  melaphyre  rocks  of 
the  Galgenberg,  where  they  were  worked  more  than  four 
centuries  ago.  The  quarries,  or  rather  mines — for  the 
Agate  rock  was  worked  in  subterranean  tunnels  by  aid  of 
artificial  light — have  been  abandoned  since  the  discovery 
of  the  Agate  in  Uruguay;  but  the  work  of  cutting  and 
polishing  the  stone  is  still  carried  on  largely  in  the  neigh¬ 
bouring  villages. 

In  a  district  of  8f  square  miles,  stand  the  two  little 
towns  of  Oberstein  and  Idar,  the  chief  centres  of  the  Agate 
industry.  Not  only  is  a  great  proportion  of  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  these  towns  in  some  way  occupied  in  cutting, 
polishing,  and  coloring  these  stones,  but  for  miles  round, 
every  valley  is  dotted  with  the  homes  of  those  who  follow 
this  business. 


21 6 


The  Agate. 


In  1770  there  were  only  twenty-six  cutting  and 
polishing  mills  in  Birkenfeld,  whereas  in  1870  there  were 
180,  half  of  which  were  built  within  the  twenty  years  pre¬ 
ceding.  In  each  mill  there  are  four  or  five  grindstones. 
These  stones  are  of  red  sandstone,  which  is  obtained  from 
Zweibrucken  ;  two  men  ordinarily  work  together  at  the 
same  stone.  Much  of  the  Agate  is  cleaved  to  the  requisite 
form  by  means  of  the  hammer,  a  work  which  exacts  much 
skill  from  the  artisan  :  for  he  must  be  well  acquainted 
with  the  natural  grain  of  the  Agate,  since  there  is  no  true 
cleavage  to  guide  him. 

The  purchase  of  the  stone  in  the  rough  is  generally 
undertaken  by  professed  dealers  in  Agate  wares,  who 
commit  them  to  the  cutters  and  polishers  to  form  them 
into  articles  in  demand.  The  artificers  are  paid  by  the 
piece,  or  by  the  dozen. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  branches  of  the  Agate 
industry  is  that  of  coloring  the  stones  by  artificial  means. 
In  order  to  produce  a  fine  black  color,  such  as  is  prized  in 
an  Onyx,  the  stone  is  first  exposed  for  several  weeks  to 
the  action  of  a  warm  saccharine  solution — usually  honey 
and  water — which  is  slowly  absorbed  into  the  pores  of 
certain  layers.  The  stone  is  then  removed,  washed,  and 
treated  with  sulphuric  acid  which,  entering  the  pores, 
decomposes  the  absorbed  sugar,  and  leaves  a  deposit  of 
finely-divided  carbonaceous  matter,  thus  producing  a 
dense  black  color. 

Red  colors,  such  as  those  of  Carnelian,  may  be  obtained 
by  steeping  the  stone  in  a  solution  of  green  copperas,  or 
ferrous  sulphate,  and  then  decomposing  this  salt  by  ex¬ 
posure  to  heat.  Blue,  green,  and  yellow  tints  are  also 
produced  artificially  by  chemical  means. 

In  the  amygdaloidal  rocks  of  Perthshire,  Forfarshire, 
and  other  parts  of  Scotland,  Agates  of  very  pleasing 


The  Agate. 


217 


patterns  are  found.  These  are  largely  cut  and  polished 
under  the  name  of  “  Scotch  Pebbles,”  and  are  employed 
as  ornamental  stones  in  common  jewelry. 

Agate. 

Chemical  Composition  ...  ...  Silica. 

Hardness ...  ...  ...  ...  7. 

Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  ...  2  6. 

Form  ...  ...  Amorphous,  and  nodular. 


CHAPTER  II. 

ALEXANDRITE. 


HIS  stone,  which  was  named  after  the  late 
Czar  of  Russia,  owes  its  celebrity  to  its 
prominent  hues  of  red  and  green.  The 
Russian  Alexandrite  can  rarely  be  shown  to 
the  best  advantage  in  consequence  of  its  radical  defects  of 
structure,  as  it  is  flawed  with  crevices  and  rents  which  make 
successful  cutting  and  polishing  extremely  difficult.  The 
variety  found  in  Ceylon  is  more  easy  of  manipulation. 

Alexandrite  is  especially  remarkable  for  its  strongly 
marked  difference  of  color,  according  as  it  is  viewed  by 
natural  or  by  artificial  light.  The  finest  stones  present  a 
bright  green,  or  deep  olive  green  color,  by  daylight  ; 
whereas  artificial  light,  such  as  that  of  gas  or  a  candle, 
brings  out  a  soft  columbine  red  or  raspberry  tint. 

A  small  amount  of  chromic  oxide  gives  to  the  stone 
its  green  color  in  daylight  ;  while  it  contains  a  trace  of 
copper  and  oxide  of  lead,  sufficient  to  impart  a  dark-red 
color  to  it  when  exposed  to  artificial  light.  By  day-light 


A  lexandrite. 


219 


these  two  colors  intermingle,  the  green  predominating. 
If  the  stone  be  turned  towards  the  setting  sun,  or  towards 
a  flame,  the  red  predominates. 

The  Alexandrite  is  strongly  dichroic,  while  some 
varieties  are  even  trichroic.  In  a  dull  light,  in  the  direc¬ 
tion  of  the  long  diagonal  of  the  base,  a  faintish  oil-green 
is  reflected,  but  in  that  of  the  chief  axis  the  tint  becomes 
a  deep  verdigris.  The  orange-yellow,  dark  emerald,  and 
medium  columbine  red,  can  only  be  observed  in  a  clear 
white  light. 

Chemical  analysis  shows  that  the  Alexandrite  is  a 
variety  of  Chrysoberyl.  The  original  Alexandrite  came 
from  the  Ural  Mountains  ;  but  some  fine  stones  have  for 
the  last  few  years  been  obtained  from  Ceylon. 

A  lexandrite. 


Composition  : — 


Alumina  ... 

79- 

Glucina  ... 

18. 

Iron  and  chromic  oxide,  &c. 

3- 

100. 

Specific  Gravity  ... 

37- 

Hardness ... 

8-5. 

System  of  Crystallization 

Trimetric. 

Form  of  Crystal  ... 

Usually  six- 
sided  twins. 

CHAPTER  III. 

AMAZONITE. 


BEAUTIFUL  green  mineral  is  occasionally 
used  as  an  ornamental  stone  under  the  name 
of  Amazonite  or  Amazon  Stone — a  name 
originally  given  to  it  on  the  assumption  that 
it  came  from  the  basin  of  the  Amazons,  in  South  America. 
Until  lately  nearly  all  the  Amazon-stone  was  derived  from 
Siberia,  but  in  recent  years  magnificent  examples  have 
been  found  at  Pike’s  Peak,  Colorado  ;  while  it  has  also 
been  discovered  in  a  huge  boulder  at  Tongue,  in  Suther- 
landshire. 

Amazon-stone  is  a  bluish-green  felspar,  formerly 
regarded  as  a  variety  of  orthoclase,  but  placed  by  M. 
Descloizeaux,  on  account  of  its  optical  behaviour,  with 
inicrocline ,  or  triclinic  potash-felspar.  Its  color  has  been 
referred  to  the  presence  of  oxide  of  copper,  but  according 
to  Mr.  Konig’s  recent  researches,  it  is  due  to  an  organic 
compound  of  iron.  Some  varieties  of  Amazonite  display 
a  slightly  spangled  appearance  like  that  of  Green  Avan- 
turine. 


A  mazonite , 


221 


Amazonite. 

Composition : — 

Silica  ...  ...  ...  65. 

Alumina  ...  ...  ...  18. 

Potash  ...  ...  ...  13. 

Soda,  &c.  ...  ...  ...  4. 


100. 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  6-o. 

Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  ...  2-5. 

Crystalline  System  ...  ...  ...  Triclinic. 

Form  ...  ...  Various  prismatic  combinations. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

AMBER. 


MBER  is  a  fossil  resin,  and  its  external  condi¬ 
tion,  as  well  as  its  chemical  composition 
points  to  its  vegetable  origin.  This  view  is 
strengthened  by  its  occurring  in  connection 
with  brown  coal  or  lignite. 

If  further  proof  were  wanting  of  the  vegetable  origin 
of  Amber,  it  exists  in  the  inclusion  of  insects,  leaves, 
pieces  of  wood,  moss,  seed,  and  little  stones,  all  of  which 
may  be  seen  in  that  which  is  found  on  the  coast  of  the 
Baltic.  The  condition  of  these  inclusions  proves  the  liquid 
character  of  the  resinous  matter  as  it  flowed  forth  and 
involved  the  insects  ;  and  it  shews,  also,  the  subsequent 
slow  process  of  the  solidification  which  ensued. 

When  insects  are  caught  and  retained  in  the  tenacious 
resin  of  our  northern  pines,  we  find,  as  a  rule,  that  their 
bodies  are  bent,  their  feet  broken  off,  or  their  wings  rolled 
together.  It  is  not  generally  so,  however,  with  the  insects 
found  buried  in  Amber,  where  the  most  delicate  parts 
of  the  creature  are  often  preserved  in  the  most  natural 
positions — probably  because  the  Amber,  when  it  originally 
exuded  from  the  tree,  was  a  liquid  of  thin  consistency. 


Amber.  223 

The  innumerable  organic  remains,  which  this  resin  has 
preserved  uninjured  for  thousands  of  years,  give  us  a 
marvellous  insight  into  the  vegetable  life  of  that  division 
of  the  Tertiary  period  known  to  geologists  as  the  Miocene 
age — the  age  to  which  the  amber  forests  of  northern 
Europe  may  be  referred.  We  here  see  plants  quite  un¬ 
known  at  the  present  day  among  the  flora  of  the  northern 
sea-coasts,  but  which  have  a  relationship  to  the  existing 
flora  of  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean.  Prof.  Goeppert, 
the  veteran  botanist  of  Breslau,  has  christened  the  prin¬ 
cipal  Amber-yielding  tree  the  Pinites  succinifer. 

Amber  is  non-crystalline,  translucent,  and  somewhat 
brittle  ;  it  has  a  specific  gravity  as  nearly  as  possible  the 
same  as  that  of  sea- water.  Its  fundamental  color  is  yellow 
in  all  shades,  running  on  one  side  into  white  and  hyacinth- 
red,  and  on  the  other  into  brown  and  black.  The  green 
and  blue  specimens  are  never  pure. 

It  becomes  electrical  by  friction,  and  this  property 
was  familiar  to  the  Greeks  as  far  back  as  the  days  of 
Thales  of  Miletus,  who  observed  that  when  rubbed  it 
acquired  the  property  of  attracting  light  substances.  The 
word  electricity  is,  in  fact,  derived  from  the  Greek  word 
electron ,  signifying  Amber. 

Amber  is  soluble  in  sulphuric  acid.  Chemically,  it 
it  composed  of  a  volatile  oil,  several  resins,  and  succinic 
acid.  The  principal  resin  of  Amber  is  known  to  minera¬ 
logists  as  succinite — a  name  sometimes  applied  to  Amber 
itself. 

Wherever  Amber  is  found,  whether  in  France,  Holland, 
Greenland,  Sweden,  Italy,  Sicily,  Spain,  Siberia,  China,  or 
India,  it  is  in  association  with  the  brown-coal  or  Lignite 
of  the  Tertiary  period.  This  relation  is  very  instruc¬ 
tive.  The  most  prolific  fields  of  Amber  are  the  great 
plains  of  northern  Germany,  and  the  coasts  of  the  Baltic, 


224 


Amber. 


especially  between  Konigsberg  and  Memel,  where  it  occurs 
in  a  loose  clayey  sandstone,  which,  from  its  color  is  known 
as  “  blue  earth.”  At  Palmicken,  in  Samland,  in  eastern 
Prussia,  the  Amber  is  systematically  worked  by  subter¬ 
ranean  mining  ;  but  in  most  places  the  Amber  gatherers 
simply  dig  it  from  the  soil,  or  pick  it  from  the  cliffs,  or 
collect  the  nodules  that  are  cast  by  the  waves  upon  the 
shore. 

Specimens  of  Amber,  in  the  form  of  rolled  nodules, 
are  occasionally  found  washed  ashore  in  this  country, 
especially  on  the  coast  of  Norfolk,  near  Cromer. 

Largequantities  of  Prussian  Amber  are  sent  to  Breslau, 
Odessa,  and  Constantinople.  Amber  forms  a  very  impor¬ 
tant  industry  not  only  in  Dantzic,  Konigsberg,  Stolpe,  and 
Liibeck,  but  in  Vienna,  Constantinople,  and  Catania,  in 
Sicily  ;  indeed,  in  almost  every  town  where  “  Galanterie  ” 
is  acceptable. 

It  is  notable  that  the  Sicilian  Amber  possesses  a 
peculiar  opalescence,  or  even  fluorescence — presenting  a 
difference  of  tint  according  as  it  is  viewed  by  transmitted 
or  by  reflected  light. 

In  Stolpe  alone  the  value  of  the  Amber  industry 
amounts  yearly  to  about  ,£10,000.  In  Paris  the  most 
exquisite  wares  are  made  of  Amber,  and  command  extra¬ 
ordinarily  high  prices.  Innumerable  are  the  articles  made 
of  it,  amongst  others  microscopic  lenses,  aerometers,  and 
busts.  Necklaces  and  bracelets  of  Amber  are  sent  to 
Egypt  and  India,  and  the  meanest  Turk  seeks  a  piece  of 
it  for  his  pipe,  not  only  because  it  is  pleasant  to  the  lip, 
but  because  he  has  a  belief  that  it  will  preserve  him  from 
inhaling  pestilence. 

Amber  was  much  valued  by  the  Ancients,  particularly 
by  the  Romans.  From  the  second  Imperial  epoch  down 
to  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth  century,  Amber  was  cut 


A  mber. 


22  5 


into  knives  and  one-pronged  forks,  which  the  princes  and 
great  church  dignitaries  used  for  cutting  up  various  kinds 
of  fruits  and  vegetables,  especially  their  esculent  fungoids 
— mushrooms,  and  the  like.  It  was  at  one  period  far  more 
valuable  than  gold.  The  Greeks  very  early  received  from 
the  Phoenicians  chains  made  of  Amber,  both  for  the  neck 
and  arms,  and  it  is  mentioned  in  connection  with  heathen 
mythology  from  very  ancient  times.  According  to  the 
legend,  the  sisters  of  Phseton,  mourning  and  weeping  at 
his  unhappy  end,  attracted  the  pity  of  the  gods,  who 
mercifully  changed  them  into  trees,  and  their  tears  still 
flowing  on,  became  Amber.  A  still  stranger  origin  is 
given  to  this  fossil,  in  the  well-known  couplet  of  the  fire 
worshippers,— 

“  Around  thee  shall  glisten  the  loveliest  Amber, 

That  ever  the  sorrowing  sea  bird  hath  wept.” 


The  great  value  set  upon  Amber  even  in  pre-historic 
times  in  this  country  is  seen  in  the  care  with  which  objects 
of  this  material  were  interred  with  their  possessors  in 
tumuli  or  burial-mounds  of  very  early  date.  The  finest 
specimen  in  this  country  is  an  Amber  cup  in  the  Brighton 
Museum,  originally  found  with  bronze  and  stone  weapons 
in  a  barrow  at  Hove. 

Amber  is  frequently  imitated  by  various  resins 
or  gum-resins,  such  as  copal  and  anime.  These  imita¬ 
tions  are  not  confined  to  the  clear  and  clouded  varieties, 
but  extend  to  those  containing  insects.  There  are  like¬ 
wise  several  fossil  resins  which  are  closely  related  to  Amber, 
notably  one  found  some  years  ago  in  the  London  clay  of 
Highgate,  when  cutting  the  Archway  Road,  and  hence 
known  as  “  Highgate  resin.” 


P 


226 


Amber. 


Amber  is  found  in  several  localities  in  the  United 
States,  mostly  in  New  Jersey  and  in  Massachusetts  ;  but 
the  American  Amber  rarely  occurs  of  sufficient  beauty 
or  in  sufficient  quantity  to  be  available  for  ornamental 
purposes. 

Amber. 

Composition  ...  Carbon,  Hydrogen,  and  Oxygen. 

Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  ...  ro8. 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  ...  2'5. 

Form...  ...  Amorphous;  occurring  as  nodules. 


CHAPTER  V. 

AMETHYST. 


HIS  is  a  term  now  applied  to  all  the  violet 
and  purple  crystals  of  Quartz,  which,  when 
fractured,  present  the  peculiar  rippled  or 
undulated  structure  described  by  Sir  David 
Brewster.  It  is,  however,  an  entirely  distinct  species  from 
the  stone  called  Oriental  Amethyst,  which  is  a  variety  of 
Sapphire,  of  a  deep  shade  of  violet,  mentioned  already 
under  the  head  of  Corundum. 

Amethyst  is  a  variety  of  quartz  containing  traces  of 
oxide  of  manganese,  to  which  the  violet  color  of  the  stone 
is  attributed.  When  heated,  it  becomes  white  and  opales¬ 
cent.  The  crystals,  like  those  of  quartz  in  any  other  of 
its  manifold  varieties,  are  of  sufficient  hardness  to  scratch 
glass,  and  are  infusible  before  the  blow-pipe. 

The  Amethyst  is  dichroic,  or  exhibits  under  certain 
conditions  two  distinct  tints — the  one  being  reddish  pur¬ 
ple  and  the  other  bluish  purple. 

Amethysts  are  found  sometimes  in  iron  mines  and 


228 


A  methyst. 


sometimes  in  association  with  Agates.  Those  of  the  finest 
violet  occur  in  Siberia,  India,  Ceylon,  Persia,  Carthagena, 
Brazil,  China,  and  Australia.  Brazil,  of  all  these  places, 
furnishes  us  with  the  best  specimens  of  the  dark  colored 
stones.  In  cutting  them,  as  many  facets  as  possible  are 
given,  in  order  to  intensify  the  color  and  lustre.  This 
stone  takes  a  beautiful  polish,  and  as  none  harmonizes 
better  with  gold,  it  forms  a  gem  of  great  beauty,  but  since 
the  discovery  of  it  in  South  America,  it  seems  to  have  lost 
caste. 

In  America  the  Amethyst  occurs  of  extraordinary 
size  :  a  block  sent  thence  to  India  is  said  to  have  weighed 
98  lbs.  A  variety  known  as  Spanish  Amethyst  is  some¬ 
times  met  with  in  very  old-fashioned  jewellry  ;  it  exhibits 
the  true  purple  color,  at  one  time  so  much  prized  ;  but 
whence  this  variety  came  is  unknown.  The  common 
Amethyst  is  found  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  world. 

To  show  the  fall  in  the  value  of  this  stone,  it  may 
suffice  to  quote  one  instance,  viz.,  the  Amethyst  necklace 
of  Queen  Charlotte.  It  consisted  of  well-matched  and 
very  perfect  stones,  although  only  of  the  common  variety, 
and  was  valued  at  ,£2,000  ;  it  is  doubtful  whether,  apart 
from  its  historical  associations,  it  would  now  realize  £  100. 

Intaglios  of  very  ancient  date,  and  in  every  style  are 
met  with  in  Amethysts.  As  a  rule,  stones  of  a  pale  color 
are  used  for  engraving  rather  than  the  dark  ;  as  an  excep¬ 
tion  to  this  rule,  the  Rev.  C.  W.  King  says  he  himself  has 
seen  perhaps  the  grandest  Greek  portrait  in  existence,  a 
head  of  Mithridates,  cut  in  a  large  Amethyst  of  the 
deepest  violet  color,  which  was  found  a  century  ago  in 
India.  There  was  another  very  ancient  intaglio  of  the 
head  of  Pan  in  the  Uzielli  collection. 

In  early  times  the  Amethyst  seems  to  have  been  a 
favorite  stone  for  cameos  and  engraving  One  of  the 


A  methyst . 


229 


largest  of  the  kind  was  the  gem,  representing  a  bust  of 
Trajan,  of  which  the  Prussian  treasury  was  robbed  during 
the  Napoleonic  wars. 

It  may  be  added  that  the  word  “  Amethyst,”  though 
probably  of  Oriental  origin,  is  usually  regarded  as  derived 
from  the  Greek  privative  a  and  the  verb  metlmo,  “to 
intoxicate” — whence  the  old  notion  that  this  stone  was 
an  antidote  to  drink,  a  charm  against  intoxication.  Tra¬ 
dition  has  even  gone  so  far  as  to  assert  that  wine  drunk 
from  a  cup  of  Amethyst  is  incapable  of  producing  inebria¬ 
tion  ! 


Amethyst. 

Composition : — 

Silica,  colored  by  oxide  of  manganese. 
Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  ...  2‘6. 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  ...  7. 

System  of  Crystallization  ...  ...  Hexagonal. 

Form  of  Crystals  ...  ...  ...  Generally 

six-sided  pyramids  and  prisms. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

AQUAMARINE. 


QUAMARINE  is  a  name  given  to  those 
varieties  of  Beryl  which  possess  a  pale  green 
color  suggestive  of  sea-water,  whence  the 
name  aqua  marina.  In  fact,  the  Beryl,  the 
Aquamarine,  and  the  Emerald  are  all  united  by  minera¬ 
logists  under  the  head  of  a  single  species,  inasmuch  as 
they  are  found  to  agree  in  crystallographic  and  chemical 
characters,  while  they  differ  mainly  in  color.  The  pale 
green  of  the  Aquamarine  is  probably  due  to  the  presence 
of  a  small  proportion  of  oxide  of  iron,  whereas  the  rich 
green  of  the  Emerald  appears  referable  to  oxide  of 
chromium. 

The  Aquamarine  is  not  a  stone  of  great  hardness, 
and  consequently  it  tends  to  lose  polish  and  suffer  abra¬ 
sion  ;  this  softness  naturally  detracting  from  its  value  in 
the  jeweller’s  estimation. 

Most  of  the  Aquamarine  comes  to  us  from  Brazil, 
already  cut ;  but  the  stones  are  also  found  elsewhere,  viz., 


AQUAMARINE. 


CRYSTAL. 


AMETHYST.  GARNET. 


PERIDOT. 


TOURMALINE. 


A  quamarine. 


231 


in  the  granite  regions  of  the  Ural  Mountains,  and  of  the 
Altai  Mountains,  in  Siberia.  Formerly  they  were  obtained 
from  the  frontiers  of  China. 

Fine  examples  of  the  varieties  known  as  Beryl  are 
obtained  in  Siberia,  in  the  granite  district  of  Nertschinsk. 
They  occur  at  times  as  prismatic  crystals  of  twelve  inches 
or  more  in  length.  At  Dauria,  in  the  Mountains  of 
Odon  Tchelon,  there  exist  at  different  elevations,  in  a 
mass  of  decomposed  granite,  crystals  of  Beryl  of  a  green 
tint,  varying  towards  a  warm-yellow,  rarely  exceeding  an 
inch  in  length.  At  a  higher  range  there  is  a  vein  of 
micaceous  clay,  containing  crystals  of  purer  green  and  of 
greater  size.  At  the  summit  the  gem  is  of  a  different 
hue,  remarkably  transparent,  and  presenting  the  blue  tint 
of  some  valuable  Sapphires.  In  the  United  States 
France,  Bavaria,  Saxony,  and  Bohemia,  the  Beryl  is 
also  found. 

This  gem  is  a  great  favorite  with  the  English,  chiefly 
because  it  possesses  the  advantage  of  retaining  its  lustre 
in  artificial  light.  Jewellers  distinguish  the  varieties  of 
this  stone  in  a  manner  peculiar  to  themselves,  viz. :  the 
green  and  blue  varieties  they  call  Aquamarine,  while  the 
yellow  variety  receives  the  name  of  Beryl.  But  the  former 
is  again  sub-divided  into  (1)  Aquamarine,  pure,  light 
sky-blue;  (2)  Siberian  Aquamarine,  light  greenish-blue, 
bright  lustre,  and  faintly  colored  ;  (3)  Aquamarine  Chry¬ 
solite,  greenish-yellow,  sometimes  yellowish-green,  with 
bright  lustre. 

One  of  the  finest  specimens  of  Aquamarine  is  the 
remarkable  sword-hilt  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  Beresford 
Hope,  which  has  been  exhibited  for  some  years  past  in 
the  South  Kensington  Museum.  It  is  beautiful  in  color 
and  perfectly  pure.  It  is  covered  with  facets,  and  is 
unique  both  as  a  mineral  and  as  an  example  of  the 


232 


A  quamat  ine. 


lapidary’s  art.  This  magnificent  stone,  which  is  said  to 
have  belonged  to  Prince  Murat,  weighs  3-J  ozs. 

In  the  same  collection  is  an  Aquamarine  engraved 
to  represent  a  female  holding  a  bagpipe  ;  a  light  drapery 
floats  around  the  upper  part  of  the  body. 

Aquamarine  is  made  into  a  variety  of  ornaments.  It 
is  said  that  the  Emperor  Commodus  possessed  an  Aqua¬ 
marine  engraved  with  a  portrait  of  Hercules  by  Hyllus  ; 
and  that  in  the  treasures  of  Odescalchi,  there  was  a  stone 
engraved  by  Quintilius,  representing  Neptune,  drawn  by 
sea-horses.  In  the  National  Library  in  Paris  there  is  a 
beautiful  engraving  by  Evodus,  on  Aquamarine,  of  the 
head  of  Julia,  the  daughter  of  Titus.  An  Aquamarine,  2 
inches  long  and  2§  in  thickness,  adorned  the  tiara  of  Pope 
Julius  II. 

Aquamarine. 


Composition — Silica  ... 

66-8 

Alumina 

19-1 

Glucina 

14-1 

IOO'O 

Specific  Gravity 

27 

Hardness 

T  5 

System  of  Crystallization 

Hexagonal. 

Form  of  Crystals 

Six-sided  prisms. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

AVANTURINE. 


is  related  that  a  French  glass  maker,  hap¬ 
pening  to  let  some  brass  filings  fall  into  his 
glass-pot,  was  surprised  to  find  that  the 
product  presented  a  beautifully-spangled 
appearance.  To  this  gold-spotted  glass  the  name  of 
Avanturine  was  given,  because  it  had  thus  been  formed 
par  avanture — “  by  accident.”  The  name  was  afterwards 
applied  to  a  mineral  which  presents  an  appearance  some¬ 
what  like  that  of  the  avanturine  glass. 

This  mineral,  though  rare,  is  nothing  more  than  a 
translucent  variety  of  Quartz,  generally  of  brownish-red, 
but  sometimes  of  green  color,  and  having  disseminated 
throughout  its  mass  a  vast  number  of  glittering  points, 
which  appear  generally  to  be  minute  scales  of  Mica.  It 
is  found  principally  in  Siberia,  and  is  used  to  a  limited 
extent  as  an  ornamental  stone.  The  artificial  Avanturine 
often  used  in  Italian  jewelry,  is  merely  a  reddish-brown 
spangled  glass,  made  at  Murano,  near  Venice ;  and  in 


234 


A  vanturine. 


consequence  of  being  so  fully  charged  with  golden  spangles, 
is  more  beautiful,  though  less  durable,  than  the  natural 
Avanturine. 


Avanlurme. 

Composition — Silica,  with  oxide  of  iron,  alumina, 
and  other  impurities. 


Specific  Gravity 

Hardness 

Form 


...  2'6. 

.  7- 

Massive  and  schistose, 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

BLOODSTONE. 


LOODSTONE,  or  Heliotrope,  is  a  variety  of 
Jasper,  of  a  deep  green  color,  interspersed 
with  red  spots,  which  resemble  small  drops 
of  blood,  whence  its  name. 

Heliotrope,  or  Bloodstone,  although  a  beautiful  ma¬ 
terial,  is  not  much  used  for  ornamental  purposes,  except 
for  signet  rings.  Being  a  rather  hard  stone,  and  yet  not 
difficult  of  manipulation,  it  is  a  favorite  with  engravers, 
and  hence  crests  and  monograms  are  frequently  engraved 
upon  it.  Cups  and  other  ornamental  objects  of  small  size, 
are  also  fashioned  from  it.  It  was  much  prized  by  the 
ancient  Egyptians  and  Babylonians,  who  employed  it  for 
seals  and  intaglios. 

In  the  Royal  Collection  in  Paris  is  a  bust  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  this  mineral,  so  executed  that  the  red  spots  of 
the  stone  stand  out  like  real  drops  of  blood. 

Bloodstone. 

Composition — Silica,  with  a  small  percentage  of 


peroxide  of  iron. 

Specific  Gravity  ... 

2’6 

Hardness  ... 

7 

Form 

Amorphous, 

CHAPTER  IX. 

CARNELIAN. 


ARNELIAN  is  nothing  more  than  a  pale-red 
variety  of  Chalcedony ,  itself  a  form  of  quartz, 
characterized  by  its  translucency,  or  semi¬ 
opacity,  and  by  an  entire  absence  of  crystal¬ 
line  texture.  The  word  Carnelian  is  said  to  be  derived 
from  the  Latin  word  Caro,  “  flesh,”  in  allusion  to  the 
reddish  color  of  the  stone.  As  to  the  word  Chalcedony , 
some  believe  it  to  be  derived  from  Chalcedon ,  now  Kadi- 
Kene,  an  ancient  city  in  Bithynia,  the  place  where  it  was 
earliest  found.  The  Ancients  called  the  Carnelian  or 
some  similar  stone  Sarda,  either  from  the  town  of  Sardis 
in  Asia  Minor,  or  from  the  Arabian  word  “  Sard  ”  (yellow). 
Luther  translates  the  Hebrew  word  “  Odem  ”  or  “Adam  ” 
(red)  (Exodus,  chap,  xxvii.  v.  17),  by  Sarda. 

Carnelian  is  chiefly  found  in  nodular  masses  ;  often, 
however,  in  irregular  fragments.  Its  color  varies  from 
blood-red  to  wax-yellow,  and  reddish-brown  ;  it  is  cloudy, 
seldom  striated,  semi-transparent,  and  of  waxy  lustre. 
By  heat  the  color  of  Carnelian  becomes  intensified,  because 
its  coloring  matter,  which  is  a  hydrated  oxide  of  iron,  or 
ferric  hydrate,  becomes  dehydrated,  or  loses  more  or  less 


Carnelian. 


23  7 


of  its  water,  and  is  thus  reduced  partially  or  completely  to 
the  state  of  anhydrous  oxide  of  iron,  or  ferric  oxide,  the 
color  of  which  is  bright  red.  By  an  over  application  of 
heat  it  sometimes  loses  its  color  and  becomes  white,  pale, 
and  friable.  It  is  found  with  amethyst  and  chalcedony 
at  Oberstein  in  the  province  of  Birkenfeld,  and  in  sand¬ 
stone  at  Waldshut  in  Baden.  It  occurs  in  extraordinary 
beauty  as  pebbles,  at  Baroche  in  the  province  of  Guzurale, 
in  the  East  Indies.  In  the  same  manner  it  is  found  in 
the  rivers  of  Uruguay. 

The  jewellers  and  lapidaries  distinguish  the  different 
kinds  of  Carnelian  by  the  following  names — 1st,  Mascu¬ 
line,  or  Carnelian  of  old  stone,  dark  red  ;  2nd,  Feminine, 
pale  red,  passing  into  yellow  ;  3rd,  Sard,  brown,  passing 
into  pomeranian  and  yellow  ;  4th  Sardonyx,  where  layers 
of  the  Sard  alternate  with  layers  of  white  ;  5th,  Carne¬ 
lian  Onyx,  blood-red  stripes  playing  into  white  ;  6th, 
Carnelian  Beryl,  a  whitish  yellow  variety. 

Carnelian  is  cut  on  a  leaden  plate  with  emery,  and 
polished  on  a  wooden  one  with  pumice-stone.  It  receives 
its  last  touch  of  polish,  however,  on  a  plate  consisting  of 
lead  and  tin  moistened  with  water.  It  is  generally  cut 
into  squares,  hexagons,  or  octagons  ;  sometimes  round,  or 
by  giving  to  the  upper  part  the  treppen  or  graduated  cut. 

Carnelian  is  used  for  rings,  seals,  watch-keys,  beads, 
and  other  objects  of  adornment.  It  is  very  much  employed 
for  Cameos,  and  for  engraving.  In  cutting  a  Cameo  from 
Carnelian,  the  snow-white  layer  would  be  made  use  of  for 
the  figure  ;  the  red  for  a  base  or  ground-work  ;  and,  should 
it  have  a  third  layer  of  milk-white,  it  would  serve  for  the 
hair  in  the  figure  of  the  Cameo.  The  Cameos  which  from 
time  to  time  we  receive  from  India  are  most  bizarre  in 
their  appearance.  The  natives  cover  the  whole  stone  with 
carbonate  of  sodium,  and  subject  it  for  a  moment  to  intense 


238 


Carnelian. 


heat,  so  that  a  hard  molten  mass  is  produced  in  which 
they  cut  designs. 

Carnelian  of  a  ruby  color  is  of  more  value  than  the 
other  varieties  of  chalcedony  ;  the  pale-red  ranks  next.  At 
Oberstein  and  Idar  ordinary  pale-grey  chalcedony  iscolored 
red  by  chemical  means,  and  thus  converted  into  a  brightly 
tinted  Carnelian.  Since  this  industry  has  been  introduced 
the  value  of  Carnelian  has  much  diminished  ;  and  probably 
the  market  has  not  been  improved  by  the  very  large  im¬ 
portation  of  Brazilian  stones.  The  price  paid  for  this 
stone  depends  greatly  upon  the  degree  of  transparency, 
purity,  and  beauty  of  color,  and  upon  its  freedom  from 
flaws. 

A  large  trade  in  Carnelians  has  been  maintained  in 
India  for  over  2000  years. 

This  stone  was  probably  chosen  by  the  Greeks  and 
Romans  for  cameos  in  consequence  of  its  possessing  a 
beautiful  color  and  a  certain  hardness,  affording  a  facility 
for  manipulation.  We  shall  mention  only  a  few  of  the 
many  famous  specimens. 

The  oldest  Greek  gems  known  are  in  the  collection  of 
the  Emperor  of  Germany.  One  of  them  is  a  Carnelian,  on 
which  is  represented  a  winged  Jupiter  appearing  to  Semele  ; 
and  the  other  an  opaque  Sardonyx,  on  which  is  engraved 
a  draped  figure  of  Venus.  They  are  more  modern,  how¬ 
ever,  than  the  butterfly  of  the  first  epoch  of  the  Etruscan 
art  of  engraving. 

There  is  a  Carnelian  of  the  earliest  period  in  the 
St.  Petersburg  collection,  on  which  a  man’s  head  is 
engraved,  with  most  artistically  arranged  beard. 

The  British  Museum  possesses  an  example  of  the 
second  period,  viz.,  a  Carnelian  butterfly,  carrying  a  repre¬ 
sentation  of  Venus,  of  very  fine  workmanship.  The  dress 
of  the  goddess  hangs  in  rich  and  graceful  folds. 


Carnelian. 


239 


A  Carnelian  of  the  third  period  is  in  the  Royal 
Collection  of  Vienna,  and  represents  Helena. 

On  a  small  Carnelian,  in  the  Collection  at  Florence, 
there  is  a  head  of  Apollo,  adorned  with  laurels  and  fillets. 

In  the  Berlin  Museum  there  is  an  unique  Indian 
Carnelian,  almost  as  transparent  as  the  Hyacinth,  engraved 
with  the  head  of  Sextus  Pompeius. 

One  of  the  most  famous  of  the  ancient  deep-cut  stones 
represents  the  birthday  festival  of  Dionysius,  and  was  once 
in  the  possession  of  Michael  Angelo. 


Carnelian. 

Composition  —Silica,  with  oxide  of  iron. 


Specific  Gravity  ... 
Hardness  ... 

Form 


...  Amorphous. 


2-6. 

7- 


CHAPTER  X. 

CHRYSOBERYL. 

(the  oriental  chrysolite  of  lapidaries.) 


HERE  is  probably  no  stone  the  composition 
of  which  has  been  given  with  so  much  varia¬ 
tion  as  this.  There  is,  however,  reason  to  be¬ 
lieve  that  chemists  have  frequently  analysed 
different  stones,  and  confounded  them  under  one  term. 
The  true  Chrysoberyl,  as  known  to  us  to-day,  is  essen¬ 
tially  a  compound  of  alumina  and  glucina,  with  varying 
proportions  of  oxide  of  iron.  There  are  three  varieties 
of  this  stone — the  Chrysoberyl,  the  Cymophane  or  true 
Oriental  Cat's  Eye,  and  the  Alexandrite.  The  colors  of 
the  Chrysoberyl  range  from  light  asparagus  green,  golden 
yellow,  brownish  yellow,  and  golden  brown,  to  columbine 
red.  To  the  unassisted  eye,  some  varieties  are  scarcely 
distinguishable  from  Tourmalines. 

The  crystalline  forms  of  the  Chrysoberyl  belong  to 
the  rhombic  system.  It  is  usually  found  as  rolled  pebbles 
in  the  same  sands  as  those  which  furnish  crystals  of  Topaz 
and  Corundum.  Twin-crystals  of  two  kinds  and  of  great 


Chrysoberyl. 


241 


beauty  are  found  in  the  Emerald  mines  of  Takowaja,  east 
of  the  Catherine  Mountains  in  the  Ural.  The  cleavage  is 
imperfect — parallel  to  the  faces  of  the  right-angled  prism  ; 
fracture  conchoidal  and  uneven.  It  is  brittle,  transparent, 
or  translucent,  and  possesses  in  a  high  degree  the  power  of 
double  refraction,  and  a  vitreous  and  oily  lustre.  A  pecu¬ 
liar  bluish  opalescence,  in  the  inner  part  of  the  stone,  is  to 
be  seen  at  times.  The  streak  is  white.  Under  friction  the 
stone  becomes  electric,  and  remains  in  that  condition  for 
hours. 

It  is  interesting  to  trace  the  history  of  our  knowledge 
of  the  chemical  constitution  of  this  mineral.  Klaproth 
and  Arfwedson  considered  it  to  be  composed  of  silicic 
acid  and  alumina.  To  Seybert  we  are  indebted  for  the 
discovery  of  glucina  in  Chrysoberyl.  He  conceived  it  to 
be  composed  of  silicic  acid,  alumina,  and  an  aluminate  of 
glucinum  or  beryllium.  Thomson  declared  he  could  find 
no  silicic  acid  in  it,  and  was  confirmed  in  this  view  by 
Rose. 

The  Chrysoberyl  undergoes  no  change  before  the  blow¬ 
pipe,  but  fuses  with  great  difficulty  into  a  clear  glass  by 
means  of  borax.  Acids  have  no  effect  upon  it,  but  when 
heated  with  a  solution  of  cobalt  nitrate  it  becomes  blue. 

Asparagus  or  yellow-green  Chrysoberyl  was  known 
in  very  early  times  to  the  people  of  Ceylon  and  Brazil- 
In  Ceylon  it  is  found  in  river  sands  in  company  with 
Tourmaline,  Spinel,  and  Sapphire.  On  the  east  side  of 
Borneo,  also,  it  is  found  in  the  river  sands,  and  in  flooded 
lands,  associated  with  rock  crystal,  gold  dust,  Diamond, 
Topaz,  and  Emerald.  In  Pegu  it  is  found  amongst 
pebbles  and  loose  alluvia.  In  Brazil,  pieces  of  the  Chry¬ 
soberyl  of  the  size  of  a  hazel  nut,  and  of  yellowish- 
green  color,  are  sometimes  met  with  while  washing  for 
Diamonds.  Of  late  years  it  has  also  been  found  in  granite 

Q 


242 


Chrysoberyl. 


in  Connecticut,  North  America,  in  well-formed  tables  and 
prisms,  with  Tourmaline,  Garnet,  and  Beryl;  and  at 
Saratoga  and  Greenfield  in  New  York  State,  in  regular 
twin  crystals  with  Tourmaline,  Garnet,  and  Apatite. 

The  Chrysolite,  a  stone  frequently  confounded  with 
the  Chrysoberyl,  will  be  found  described  under  the  head 
of  Peridot. 


Chrysoberyl. 


Composition  —Alumina 


78 


Glucina 

Ferrous  oxide  ... 


4 


too 


Specific  Gravity 
Hardness 


3'5  to  3-8 


Crystalline  System  Trimetric  or  ortho-rhombic. 
Form  Flat  prisms  ;  generally  as  rolled  pebbles, 


CHAPTER  XI. 

CHRYSOPRASE. 


HERE  can  be  no  question  that  the  Chryso- 
prase  of  the  Ancients  was  a  very  different 
stone  from  that  which  is  known  by  this 
name  at  the  present  day.  Pliny  speaks  of 
it  as  a  well-known  gem,  and  tells  us  that  vessels  were 
made  of  it,  and  that  the  stone  was  obtained  from  India  in 
great  quantities.  No  antique  works  in  true  Chrysoprase 
have  come  down  to  us,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  Chry¬ 
soprase  of  modern  mineralogists  was  unknown  to  the 
Greeks  and  Romans.  Our  true  Chrysoprase  is  a  green 
variety  of  Chalcedony,  of  extremely  local  occurrence. 

It  has  been  said  that  Chrysoprase  was  first  discovered 
by  a  Prussian  officer,  near  a  mill  on  the  Kosemiitz  Moun¬ 
tains  in  1740.  It  is  quite  certain  however,  that  Chry¬ 
soprase  had  been  known  and  used  for  some  centuries, 
although  its  true  home  had  not  been  actually  ascertained 
until  a  comparatively  recent  date.  The  costly  mosaic 
walls  of  St.  Wenzel’s  Chapel,  in  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Beit, 
at  Prague,  built  in  the  14th  century,  contain  splendid 
specimens  of  Chrysoprase.  Frederick  the  Great  used 
this  stone  in  adorning  the  palace  of  Sans  Souci.  In  the 


244 


Chrysoprase. 


Royal  Palace  of  Potsdam  there  are  two  tables  formed  of 
Chrysoprase,  three  feet  long,  two  feet  broad,  and  two 
inches  thick. 

A  fine  intaglio,  of  light  green  color  and  oval  shape, 
representing  the  head  of  Ariadne,  is  in  the  Hope  Col¬ 
lection. 

Chrysoprase  is  found  in  Silesia,  near  Kosemiitz, 
Glasendorf,  and  Baumgarten,  not  far  from  Frankenstein. 
It  occurs  in  veins  of  serpentine,  in  company  with  other 
siliceous  minerals,  such  as  Quartz,  Hornstone,  Chalcedony, 
Opal  and  Pimelite  ;  the  last  deriving  its  color  from  the 
same  substance  as  the  Chrysoprase,  viz.,  from  oxide  of 
nickel.  The  Chrysoprase,  as  a  rule,  is  laid  bare  by  the 
heavy  rains  washing  away  the  soil  from  the  hills,  and  is 
occasionally  also  turned  up  by  the  ploughshare.  The 
greenish  Opal,  which  is  found  in  company  with  the  Chry¬ 
soprase,  is  called  Chrysopal. 

Among  the  semi-Precious  Stones,  the  Chrysoprase 
deserves  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  favorites.  It  possesses 
a  beautiful  apple-green  color  of  many  shades,  and  a  trans¬ 
parency  and  capability  of  high  polish,  together  with  the 
advantage  of  being  found  in  large  pieces.  Yet  in  this 
country  the  Chrysoprase  is  not  a  fashionable  stone.  One 
of  its  peculiarities  is,  that  by  constant  use,  such  as  sealing, 
it  partly  loses  its  color  and  gradually  becomes  paler. 
Heat  and  sunshine  affect  the  color  by  their  action  on  its 
coloring  constituent,  the  oxide  of  nickel.  It  was  the 
great  chemist,  Klaproth,  who  discovered  the  presence  of 
nickel,  and  that  the  stone  contained  a  small  quantity 
of  water.  The  nickel  oxide  is  therefore,  probably  united 
with  water,  as  a  hydrate,  in  the  Chrysoprase,  which  gives 
the  metallic  oxide  a  varied  and  more  beautiful  color.  If, 
by  the  influence  of  heat,  some  of  the  water  in  the  stone  is 
lost,  the  beauty  of  the  color  is  more  or  less  destroyed.  The 


Chrysoprase. 


245 


Chrysoprase  is  chiefly  used  for  signet  rings,  buckles,  and 
pins.  The  working  of  the  stone  must  be  effected  with 
great  care,  as  if  too  great  a  heat  be  applied  it  splinters 
and  loses  its  color.  As  a  rule,  it  receives  the  table-cut  or 
cabochon  form.  The  lapidaries  of  Warmbrunn,  in  Silesia, 
are  the  principal  cutters  and  polishers  of  Chrysoprase. 

The  value  of  the  Chrysoprase  depends  upon  its  color 
and  freedom  from  flaws.  It  is  not  so  much  valued  now 
as  in  former  times,  but  fine  specimens  still  command 
attention. 

At  Oberstein  a  green  color  is  imparted  to  ordinary 
Chalcedony,  by  means  of  salts  of  nickel  or  of  chromic  acid, 
so  as  to  produce  an  artificially  tinted  Chrysoprase. 


Chrysoprase. 


Composition — Silica 


97'5 

2-5 


Oxide  of  Nickel,  &c. 


IOO'O 


Specific  Gravity  ... 
Hardness  ... 

Form 


Amorphous. 


2 ‘6 
7 


CHAPTER  XII. 

CROCIDOLITE. 


ITHIN  the  last  few  years  a  great  deal  of  this 
mineral  has  been  brought  from  South  Africa, 
and  introduced  into  commerce  as  Cat's  Eye; 
but  as  previously  explained,  the  true  Orien- 
tal  Cat’s  Eye  is  an  altogether  different  mineral.  The 
matchless  Cat’s  Eye  is  a  valuable  and  beautiful  gem  ; 
while  this  is  comparatively  worthless.  It  is,  in  fact,  only 
a  mineral  akin  to  Hornblende,  or  a  pseudomorph  after  it. 

Hornblende  occurs  in  many  forms,  and  is  a  mineral  of 
very  wide  distribution.  In  certain  varieties  occurring 
commonly  in  the  fissures  of  rocks,  it  presents  the  form  of 
long  silken  fibres,  when  it  is  known  variously  as  Asbestos, 
and  Crocidolite.  The  variety  called  Crocidolite  consists 
of  thin  delicate  silken  fibres  compacted  together  in  masses, 
and  often  associated  with  Magnetite  or  magnetic-oxide  of 
iron.  Specimens  from  the  Orange  River  sometimes  contain 
enough  Magnetite  to  be  employed  as  “  natural  magnets.” 

When  Crocidolite  is  cut  en  cabochon ,  it  exhibits,  in 
some  degree,  the  Cat’s  Eye  effect  ;  it  being  an  optical 
property  of  all  acicular  or  fibrous  minerals,  when  cut  with 
a  curved  surface,  to  show  more  or  less  chatoyancy  on  a 
line  at  right  angles  to  the  fibres  of  the  substance. 


Crocidolite. 


24  7 


The  colors  of  Crocidolite  are  usually  some  shade  of 
yellow,  with  a  ray  of  a  lighter  color ;  or  rich  brown 
deepening  to  almost  black  ;  or  a  dark  indigo  with  a  ray  of 
lighter  blue. 

The  so-called  Crocidolite  Cat’s  Eye  comes  principally 
from  a  locality  on  the  Orange  River  in  Griqualand  West, 
but  is  also  found  in  other  parts  of  South  Africa.  From 
the  microscopic  studies  of  Prof.  Fischer,  it  appears  to  be 
mainly  a  pseudomorph  of  quartz  or  chalcedony  after 
Crocidolite — in  other  words,  the  original  material  has 
been  converted  into  a  quartzose  substance  while  retaining 
its  fibrous  form. 

Crocidolite. 

Chemical  Composition  : — 


Silica  ...  ...  ...  51 

Oxide  of  iron  ...  ...  34 

Soda  ...  ...  ...  7 

Magnesia  ...  ...  3 

Water  ...  ...  ...  5 

100. 


Specimens  vary  very  much  in  composi¬ 
tion,  and  some  of  the  South  African 
Crocidolite  is  mainly  chalcedony. 
Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  About  3. 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  Nearly  7. 

Form  ..  ...  ...  .  .  Fibrous  masses. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

EUCLASE. 


HIS  mineral  has  occasionally  been  cut  and 
polished  as  a  gem-stone,  but  rather  as  a 
matter  of  scientific  curiosity  than  with  a 
view  to  its  introduction  into  jewelry,  It  is, 
in  fact,  a  very  rare  mineral,  occasionally  found  with  Topaz 
at  Villa  Rica,  in  Brazil.  It  is  also  known  to  occur  with 
Beryl  on  the  River  Sanarka,  in  the  Urals. 

Euclase  is  always  found  in  crystals  which  exhibit 
perfect  cleavage,  and  perhaps  the  most  curious  feature  of 
the  stone  is  its  excessive  brittleness — whence,  indeed,  the 
name  “  Euclase,”  from  eu  and  klao.  Its  color  is  gene¬ 
rally  a  pale  straw,  passing  in  some  specimens  into  blue 
and  green.  The  mineral  is  trichroic,  and  possesses  con¬ 
siderable  lustre.  In  its  chemical  relations  it  stands  closely 
related  to  the  Emerald. 

Euclase. 

Chemical  Composition  : — 

Silica  ... 

Alumina 
Glucina  ... 

Water  ... 


Specific  Gravity 
Hardness 
Crystalline  System 
Form 


41.20 

35-22 

U'39 

6-19 

IOO'OO 


3-098 

7-5 

Trimetric. 

...  Prismatic  crystals, 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  GARNET,  CARBUNCLE,  AND  CINNAMON 
STONE. 


NDER  the  general  name  of  Garnet,  the 
mineralogist  includes  a  number  of  stones 
which  present  a  great  variety  of  color, 
ranging  from  the  lightest  cinnamon,  through 
all  shades  of  red  and  crimson,  and  even  to  various  tints  of 
green.  Between  these  diverse  minerals  the  chief  bonds  of 
association  are  to  be  found  in  their  crystallographic  rela¬ 
tions,  and  their  constancy  of  chemical  type.  On  glancing 
at  the  various  analyses  of  different  Garnets,  one  might 
fail  to  recognize  their  relationship  ;  but  the  chemist  is 
aware  that  these  changes  of  composition  take  place 
according  to  certain  definite  laws,  without  violating  the 
general  type  on  which  they  are  constructed.  Their 
specific  gravity,  and  even  their  hardness,  are  subject  to 
great  variations,  corresponding  to  their  differences  of  com¬ 
position.  They  all  belong  to  the  isometric  or  cubic 
system,  and  are  consequently  monochroic, 


250  The  Garnet,  Carbuncle ,  and  Cinnamon  Stove. 

The  Garnet,  or  Carbuncle,  was  a  great  favorite  with 
the  Ancients.  Several  antique  Garnets  have  been  found 
in  Roman  ruins  ;  some  being  round,  and  some  cut ;  the 
latter  receiving  the  name  of  “  Garnet  Plates.”  In  former 
days  it  was  very  frequently  engraved,  and  several  beauti¬ 
ful  specimens  are  now  to  be  seen  in  Paris,  Turin,  Rome, 
and  St.  Petersburg  ;  among  which  is  the  grand  master¬ 
piece  of  art,  the  representation  of  the  head  of  the  dog 
“  Sirius,”  engraved  on  the  celebrated  “  Marlborough  ” 
Garnet.  The  small  degree  of  hardness  possessed  by 
this  stone  renders  engraving  on  it  comparatively  easy. 

The  word  Garnet  probably  owes  its  origin  to  the 
similarity  of  the  color  of  this  stone  to  that  of  the  blossom 
and  kernel  of  the  pomegranate,  a  fruit  of  Southern  Europe. 
It  is  not  a  name  of  ancient  date.  Pliny  calls  it 
“  Carbunculus,”  from  Carbo,  “a  live  coal.”  According  to 
some  authorities,  however,  it  is  thought  that  the  origin 
of  the  word  Garnet  is  to  be  found  in  granum,  “  a  grain,” 
because  it  is  so  often  found  in  granular  forms.  The 
Precious  Garnet  is  sometimes  called  “  Almandine,  ” 
from  the  city  of  Alabanda,  in  Caria.  Its  color  is  blood- 
red,  cherry-red,  or  brownish-red :  by  candle-light  it  assumes 
a  violet  tint. 

The  crystals  of  Garnet  are  almost  always  found 
embedded  in  the  rock,  singly.  This  mineral  possesses 
a  bright  lustre  and  is  transparent.  It  occurs  very 
frequently  associated  with  a  variety  of  other  stones, 
and  the  places  where  it  is  found  are  so  numerous, 
that  only  a  few  of  the  most  important  can  here  be 
mentioned. 

In  the  mountains  below  the  river  Enns,  in  Austria 
large  transparent  crystals  of  Almandine  are  found  in 
serpentine.  In  the  Zillerthal,  crystals  of  an  inch  in  length 
are  found  embedded  in  chlorite  slate.  These  are  taken  to 


The  Garnet ,  Carbuncle,  and  Cinnamon  Stone.  25  r 

Bohemia,  and  worked  into  ornaments.  The  crystals  found 
in  Bohemia  are  generally  reduced  to  powder  for  polishing 
purposes. 

In  Norway  it  is  found  in  granular  masses,  associated 
with  Augite,  Epidote,  and  Hornblende.  Some  specimens 
have  been  obtained  of  rare  beauty.  In  Sweden,  fine  large 
crystals  are  found  embedded  in  mica-schist. 

Switzerland  is  rich  in  Garnet.  On  the  St.  Gothard, 
well-developed  crystals  of  deep-red  color  are  found  in 
mica-chist.  In  the  Rheinwalde,  large  bright-red  crystals 
occur  in  gneiss ;  and  in  the  Simplon  Pass  they  are  found 
in  the  glacier  streams,  of  small  size,  but  very  beautiful. 
They  occur  in  great  abundance,  also  in  gneiss,  near  to 
Almeria,  in  Spain. 

In  Hindostan,  Garnet  is  abundant  in  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  Ragavapurum,  in  the  Kistna  district ;  and  in 
Ceylon  it  occurs  everywhere  in  gneiss,  particularly  at 
Trincomalee  and  at  Adam’s  Peak. 

The  crystals  which  come  from  Siria,  in  Pegu,  and 
which  are  called  Sirian  Almandine,  are  more  prized. 

In  Greenland  they  not  unfrequently  fall  out  of  the 
matrix,  which  is  a  chlorite-slate,  and  leave  a  regular 
colored  impression  behind.  In  the  United  States  they 
occur  in  granite,  hornblende-schist,  and  gneiss.  New 
Mexico,  Arizona,  and  Colorado  yield  fine  varieties,  which 
are  cut  as  gem-stones.  In  Brazil,  Garnets  occur  in  a 
variety  of  localities,  sometimes  in  talc  slate,  and  in  river¬ 
beds  in  company  with  Diamonds. 

In  Australia  very  fine  crystals  are  found  near  the 
Ovens,  in  Victoria;  and  at  numerous  localities  in  New 
South  Wales. 

A  new  variety  of  Garnet,  closely  resembling  the 
Burmese  Ruby  in  color,  was  found  a  few  years  ago  under 
very  difficult  circumstances,  in  the  interior  of  New  Mexico 


252  The  Garnet,  Carbuncle,  and  Cinnamon  Stone. 

Lapidaries  were  at  first  unable  to  determine,  by  mere 
cutting,  the  nature  of  this  stone.  No  Garnet  had  ever 
been  seen  in  Europe  possessing  a  color  so  closely  approach¬ 
ing  that  of  the  Ruby.  A  specimen  was  accordingly  sent 
to  Professor  Crookes,  F.R  S.,  who,  by  careful  analysis, 
found  that  it  contained  as  much  as  42  per  cent,  of 
Alumina. 

There  are  several  kinds  of  Garnet  used  for  ornament, 
but  the  red  varieties  only  have  been  used  in  jewelry. 
They  formerly  commanded  high  prices,  and  retained  their 
popularity  to  a  recent  date. 

The  principal  varieties  recognized  by  mineralogists 
are  the  Almandine,  or  Precious  Garnet ;  the  Essonite,  or 
“Jacinth”  and  “Hyacinth;”  the  Pyrope ,  or  Bohemian 
blood-red  Garnet,  and  the  Uwarowite,  or  green  Garnet. 
Each  of  these  will  now  be  separately  described. 


Almandine  ( Carbuncle ). 

The  Almandine  is  a  beautiful  stone  of  a  rich  claret 
color,  and  is  the  most  esteemed  of  the  whole  family  of 
Garnets.  It  is  the  stone  which  is  generally  employed  for 
Carbuncles. 

The  Carbuncle  is  simply  an  Almandine  cut  “  en 
cabochon  ” — that  is,  with  a  convex  surface,  which  is  polished 
all  over  without  facets,  the  upper  part  being  of  various 
degrees  of  convexity.  The  under  side  is  manipulated  so 
as  to  secure  the  desired  shade.  Sometimes  it  is  left  flat, 
sometimes  faceted,  and  frequently  hollowed  out,  so  as  to 
improve  the  color  ;  and  it  has  been  customary,  from  long 
before  the  time  of  Pliny,  to  foil  it  with  either  silver 
or  gold.  Pliny  included  a  great  variety  of  red  stones 
under  the  general  term  Carbunculus,  Carbuncles  of 


The  Garnet,  Carbuncle,  and  Cinnamon  Stone.  253 

late  years  have  gone  out  of  fashion.  At  one  time  a 
good  Carbuncle  of  the  size  of  half-a-crown  has  been 
known  to  realize  as  much  as  £50. 

Very  rarely  an  Almandine  Garnet  is  found  to  be 
asteriated  with  a  six-rayed  star. 

Almandine  ( Carbuncle ). 


Chemical  Composition  :  — 


Silica  ... 

36-5 

Alumina 

210 

Iron  Oxides  ... 

34'5 

Magnesia 

4-0 

Lime  ... 

30 

Manganese  oxide 

ro 

1 000 

Specific  Gravity 

T  5 

Hardness 

...  4  to  4-3 

Crystalline  System  ... 

...  Cubic. 

Forms  ...  Rhombic  dodecahedron  and  24-faced 
trapezohedron. 


Pyrope. 

The  Pyrope,  sometimes  known  as  “  Bohemian  Garnet,” 
is  of  a  blood-red  color,  never  purple.  When  cut  like  a 
brilliant  it  is  very  bright,  but  owing  to  its  occurring  in 
small  pieces,  it  is  more  usually  rose-cut  and  mounted 
en  pav /.  It  is  found  principally  in  Saxony  and  Bohemia 
where  it  occurs  embedded  in  Serpentine.  By  the  gradual 
decomposition  of  this  matrix,  the  Garnets  are  set  free, 
and  being  carried  down  by  streams,  are  found  in  the  sands 
of  the  rivers,  where  they  are  collected  by  children. 


254  The  Garnet ,  Carbuncle ,  and  Cinnamon  Stone. 

Pyrope. 


Chemical  Composition  : — 


Silica 

..  41-5 

Alumina 

22'0 

Magnesia 

.  150 

Iron  protoxide  ... 

•  95 

Lime 

•  5'° 

Chromium  sesquioxide 

•  4'5 

Manganese  protoxide  .. 

•  2-5 

1 000 

Specific  Gravity 

37  to  3-8 

Hardness 

r  5 

Crystalline  System 

...  Cubic. 

Forms  ...  ...  Same  as 

those  of  Almandine. 

Essonite. 

This  stone  passes  under  three  names  according  to  its 

color.  The  lightest  of  the  three  is 

of  a  pale  cinnamon 

color,  and  is  hence  known  as  Cinnamon  Stone.  The  next 
is  a  little  darker,  with  a  peculiar  admixture  of  red  and 
orange,  and  is  known  to  jewellers  as  Jacinth.  The  last 
has  a  darker  shade  of  bright  red,  orange,  and  brown, 
giving  rise  to  the  peculiar  hyacinthine  tint,  and  it  is  there¬ 
fore  called  in  trade  a  Hyacinth.  It  is  a  common  error  to 
confound  these  hyacinthine  Garnets  with  Zircons  of  the 
same  color,  to  which  the  names  Jacinth  and  Hyacinth  are 
sometimes  applied. 

Essonite  comes  principally  from  Ceylon,  where  it  is 
found  in  large  pieces.  It  is  cut  thin  on  account  of  depth 
of  color,  with  a  pavilion-cut  below  and  a  broad  table 
above,  bordered  with  small  facets. 

At  Dissentis,  in  Switzerland,  beautiful  crystals  are 


The  Garnet ,  Carbuncle ,  and  Cinnamon  Stone.  255 


found,  of  a  reddish-yellow  color,  in  a  variety  of  Quartz, 
formerly  called  “  Hyacinth  of  Dissentis ,  ”  and  equally 
fine  specimens  with  diopside,  occur  in  Piedmont  and 
St.  Gothard.  From  the  dolomite  region  of  Mexico  we 
obtain  Cinnamon  Stone  of  a  beautiful  red  color,  resem¬ 
bling  Spinel.  Essonite  is  also  found,  finely  crystallized, 
at  Phippsburg  and  Warren,  in  New  Hampshire,  and  at 
Raymond,  in  Maine,  U.  S.  A. 

A  Garnet  resembling  Essonite  in  composition,  but 
of  green  color,  is  known  as  Grossularia,  or  “  Gooseberry 
Stone.” 


Essonite. 


Chemical-  Composition — 

Silica  ...  ...  ...  ...  40 

Alumina  ...  ...  ...  23 

Lime  ...  ...  ...  ...  32 

Oxide  of  Iron  ...  ...  ...  5 

100. 


Specific  Gravity 
Hardness  ... 
System 


3 ‘4  to  37 
...  7 

Cubic. 


Forms 


Same  as  those  of  Almandine. 


Uwarowite. 

Of  the  many  other  varieties  of  Garnet,  more  or  less 
rare,  occurring  in  a  state  of  perfection  fit  for  jewelry  pur¬ 
poses,  mention  need  be  made  of  one  only,  namely,  the 
Uwarowite.  It  is  a  green  variety  of  very  limited  occur¬ 
rence,  found  in  specimens  of  only  small  size.  It  presents  a 
fine  Emerald-green  color,  and  when  sfifficientiy  clear  and 
large  forms  a  beautiful  and  lasting  stone  ;  its  hardness 
being  much  greater  than  that  of  any  other  Garnets.  It  is 
very  little  used  in  jewelry,  and  is  often  confounded  with 


256  The  Garnet ,  Carbuncle,  and  Cinnamon  Stone. 

the  “green  Garnet”  of  the  Urals,  which  is  a  much  softer 
stone,  but  one  which  nevertheless  exhibits  a  good  amount 
of  “  fire,”  especially  by  artificial  light,  and  has  a  much 
greater  range  of  color  than  the  Uwarowite.  This  latter 
stone  has  only  been  known  within  the  last  few  years  ;  it  is  a 
silicate  of  iron  and  lime,  but  its  right  to  a  place  among  the 
true  Garnets  has  been  questioned.  It  is  found  in  the  gold- 
washings  of  the  Bobrowska,  a  stream  which  flows  into  the 
river  Tschussowaja,  in  the  Ural  Mountains.  By  Russian 
jewellers  it  is  often  called  “  Siberian  Chrysolite.” 

Uwarowite. 


Chemical  Composition 


Silica 

.  37 

Lime 

.  33 

Chromium  oxide 

.  23 

Alumina 

.  7 

IOO. 

Hardness 

.  7'5  to  8 

Specific  Gravity 

.  3'5 

Crystalline  System 

...  Isometric  or  Cubic. 

Forms 

Rhombic  dodecahedra 

and 

24-faced  trapezohedra. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

HEMATITE. 


HERE  are  certain  ores  of  iron  which  are 
used  to  a  limited  extent  in  jewelry  and 
in  the  Fine  Arts  —  notably  Hematite ,  a 
mineral  which  has  been  used  from  time 
immemorial  for  intaglios,  and  latterly  for  the  imitation  of 
black  Pearls.  True,  this  mineral,  when  polished,  somewhat 
resembles  the  black  Pearl  in  general  appearance,  but  it  is 
easy  enough  to  distinguish  between  them  ;  firstly,  by 
the  very  much  higher  specific  gravity  of  the  Hema¬ 
tite  ;  secondly,  by  its  superior  hardness ;  thirdly,  by  the 
fact  that  a  delicate  magnetic  needle  will  be  deflected 
on  approaching  the  Hematite ;  and  lastly,  by  the  streak 
of  the  mineral,  which  is  of  a  reddish-brown  or  cherry-red 
color.  It  is  from  the  characteristic  red  streak  that  the 
word  Hematite ,  meaning  “  blood-stone,”  is  derived. 

The  chief  value  of  this  mineral  is  as  an  ore  ot  iron. 
Its  occurrence  is  wide-spread,  but  the  hard  Hematite 
which  is  polished  as  an  ornamental  stone,  is  found  chiefly 
in  the  carboniferous  limestone  of  Cumberland,  especially 
near  Whitehaven.  The  color  of  the  polished  mineral  is 
dark  steel  grey  or  iron  black.  Crystals,  when  found,  have 

R 


258 


Hematite. 


often  a  highly  splendant  lustre,  and  are  hence  known  as 
“  Specular  Iron-ore.”  Usually,  however,  the  Hematite 
occurs  in  reniform  or  kidney-shaped  masses,  whence  it  is 
often  called  “  kidney  ore.”  It  is  only  the  hardest  and 
densest  variety  which  is  employed  for  imitating  Pearls. 

Hematite. 


Composition — Peroxide  of  Iron,  containing — 


Iron 

.  70 

Oxygen... 

.  30 

100. 

Specific  Gravity 

4' 5  to  5-3 

Hardness 

5'5  to  6  5 

System  ... 

Rhombohedral 

Form — Complex  modifications  of  Rhombohedra  ; 
but  generally  reniform  and  massive. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

HIDDENITE. 


HE  Hiddenite  is  a  comparatively  little  known 
gem-stone,  having  been  only  recently  dis¬ 
covered  at  Alexandra  County,  North  Caro¬ 
lina,  by  Mr.  W.  E.  Hidden,  after  whom  it 
was  named.  In  appearance  it  is  something  like  the 
Emerald,  both  in  its  rough  and  cut  states.  It  has  hitherto 
been  found  only  in  very  small  prisms,  so  that  nothing 
approaching  a  large  stone  has  yet  been  cut.  Being  a 
novelty,  however,  there  has  been  a  demand  for  it  in 
America,  a  stone  of  only  2\  carats  realizing  ,£25.  It 
is  of  a  brilliant  green  hue,  verging  towards  yellow,  and 
possesses  a  beauty  of  its  own.  Hiddenite  is  a  variety  of 
the  mineral  called  Spodumene  or  Triphane ,  and  is  some¬ 
times  termed  “  Lithia  Emerald.” 

Hiddenite. 

Composition — A  silicate  of  Aluminium  and  Lithium. 
Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  ...  3 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  ...  7 

Crystalline  System  ...  ...  ...  Monoclinic. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


IOLITE. 


NDER  the  name  of  Iolite  or  Dichroite  the 
mineralogist  is  familiar  with  a  certain  stone 
which  is  remarkable  for  its  pleochroism,  or 
difference  of  tint  when  viewed  in  different 
Occasionally  it  is  cut  and  polished  as  a  gem  ¬ 
stone,  and  is  known  to  the  jeweller  as  Saphir  d'eau.  The 
best  specimens  come  from  Ceylon,  those  from  Bavaria  being 
almost  opaque.  It  is  also  found  at  Haddam,  Connec¬ 
ticut.  The  usual  colors  are  various  shades  of  blue  and 
violet,  whence  the  name  “  Iolite. 

Iolite. 

Chemical  Composition : — 

Silica 

Alumina  ... 

Magnesia 
Ferrous  oxide 


System  of  Crystallization 

Specific  Gravity . 

Hardness  ... 

Form  ...  Prismatic  crystals,  or  as  pebbles. 


49 

34 

9 

8 


ioo. 


Trimetric. 
2  ‘6 
7 


directions, 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


JADE. 


MONG  the  relics  of  the  old  pile-dwellings  in 
the  lakes  of  Switzerland  are  occasionally- 
found  a  few  polished  celts,  or  stone  axe- 
heads,  carved  in  a  greenish  mineral  called 


Jade.  No  Jade  is  known  to  occur  in  the  rocks  of  Europe, 
but  it  is  found  in  Turkestan  and  in  some  other  Eastern 
localities.  Hence  the  question  naturally  arises,  whether 
the  early  dwellers  in  Western  Europe  obtained  their  Jade 
by  barter,  or  originally  brought  it  with  them  from  their 
primitive  home  in  the  East.  Whatever  its  origin  in 
Europe,  it  is  certain  that  the  Chinese  have  for  ages 
worked  this  stone,  and  prized  it  as  one  of  the  choicest 
products  of  the  mineral  kingdom.  Notwithstanding  its 
toughness,  it  has  been  carved  by  the  Chinese  into  the 
most  elaborate  and  delicate  forms.  It  was  also  used  by 
the  Maories,  or  natives  of  New  Zealand,  chiefly  for  the 
grotesque  breast  ornament  known  as  the  tiki,  and  for  the 
peculiar  club  called  the  mere,  or  pattoo-pattoo.  This  bright 
green  Jade,  called  in  New  Zealand  punamn,  or  “  green 
stone,”  has  lately  been  used  in  this  country  for  earrings, 


262 


Jade, 

pendants,  and  other  ornamental  objects.  It  is  also  found 
in  New  Guinea  and  New  Caledonia,  where  it  is  worked, 
with  much  labour,  by  the  natives,  into  a  variety  of  gro¬ 
tesque  ornaments. 

Jade  is  known  to  mineralogists  as  Nephrite,  or 
“  kidney-stone,”  in  consequence  of  its  former  use  in 
diseases  of  that  organ.  It  is  a  compact  variety  of  horn¬ 
blende,  consisting  of  a  silicate  of  magnesium  and  calcium. 
Much  of  it  has  been  separated  as  a  distinct  species  under 
the  name  of  Jadeite.  This  is  a  silicate  of  aluminium  and 
sodium,  and  seems  to  be  a  form  of  epidote.  The  specific 
gravity  of  Jadeite  is  as  high  as  3-3,  while  that  of  true  Jade 
never  exceeds  3*18. 


Jade. 

Chemical  Coinposition  (Green  Jade  of  New  Zealand) : — 
Silica  ...  ...  ...  ...  5775 

Magnesia  ...  ...  ...  19-86 

Lime  ...  ...  ...  ...  14-89 

Oxide  of  iron,  alumina,  &c _  7-50 

IOO'OO 

Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  2-91  to  3-18 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  ...  63 

Form  ...  Amorphous;  occuring  as  a  rock. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

JASPER. 


modern  mineralogists  the  term  Jasper  is 
restricted  to  the  opaque  varieties  of  quartz, 
which  present  a  compact  texture,  and  are 
destitute  of  any  crystalline  structure.  But 
the  Jasper  of  the  Ancients  was  evidently  a  different  sub¬ 
stance,  inasmuch  as  it  is  usually  described  as  possessing 
a  green  color  associated  with  more  or  less  translucency. 
The  Greek  name,  Jaspis,  according  to  Isodore,  “  signifieth 
green,  and  such  a  green  as  doth  illustriously  shine  forth 
with  a  very  supreme  viridity,  or  greenness  of  glory.”  Pliny 
considers  the  Jaspis  to  be  a  gem  of  a  dull-green  color,  like 
an  Emerald,  but  not  so  transparent.  In  his  37th  Book  he 
reckons  up  no  fewer  than  ten  kinds  of  this  gem.  “  The 
third  of  these,”  he  says,  “is  like  to  air,  and  is  called 
iErizusa,  because  it  resembles  the  morning  of  an  autumnal 
heaven;”  “and  the  tenth  kind,”  he  writes,  “is  like  to 
crystal,”  which  concurs  with  the  description  of  it  in  Holy 
Writ  ;  but  he  himself  prefers  the  Purple  Jasper  to  all  other 
kinds,  and  next  to  this,  that  which  resembles  the  rose. 
Baccius  declares  “  that  the  pleasure  which  may  be  seen  in 


264 


Jasper . 


a  Jasper,  the  beauty  of  which  ariseth  from  the  mixture  of 
many  excellent  greens  and  whites,  cannot  be  expressed.” 
The  name  itself  is  very  ancient.  This  gem  is  the  Jaspeh 
or  eleventh  stone,  in  the  breastplate  of  the  High  Priest. 
The  glory  of  the  Jasper  is  often  made  use  of  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures  to  represent  the  New  Jerusalem. 

Pliny  assures  us  that  Eastern  nations  wore  pieces  of  it 
as  amulets.  Even  Galen  soberly  asserts  that  “  the  green 
Jasper  benefits  the  chest  and  mouth  if  tied  upon  it and 
De  Boot,  writing  so  late  as  1609,  does  not  hesitate  to 
ascribe  rare  medicinal  virtues  to  the  Jasper.  Nicols,  who 
wrote  in  the  middle  of  the  17th  century,  says,  in  his  quaint 
way,  “  Divers  do  very  superstitiously  attribute  much  power 
and  virtue  to  the  Cross-white  Jaspers,  if  figures  and 
characters  be  engraven  upon  them.” 

The  Red  Jasper  was  much  valued  in  early  times  for 
engraving.  “We  have  seen,”  says  Pliny,  “a  large  Jasper 
of  15  ounces  in  weight,  upon  which  was  worked  a  likeness 
of  Nero.” 

In  the  Vatican  there  is  a  beautiful  vase  of  Red  Jasper, 
with  white  veins,  and  another  of  Black  Jasper,  with  yellow 
veins.  In  China  the  Emperor’s  seal  is  of  Jasper  ;  and  in 
that  country  the  stone  is  highly  valued.  In  Florence  the 
Yellow  Jasper  is  largely  employed  for  Mosaics,  and  the 
Riband  Jasper  for  cameos.  For  fine  work  the  piece  ol 
Jasper  is  divided  by  a  copper-edged  saw,  used  with  fine 
sand  ;  or  pieces  of  a  more  carefully  selected  size  are  cut 
and  polished  with  Emery. 

Jasper  is  commonly  found  in  compact  masses  of 
kidney  shape,  or  as  pebbles.  Its  colors  are  green,  yellow, 
brown,  and  red  of  various  shades,  rarely  blue.  That  known 
as  Egyptian  Jasper  is  found  in  round  or  spheroidal  masses, 
in  the  desert  near  Cairo  ;  it  is  of  deep-red  color,  or  ochre- 
yellow,  deepening  into  chestnut-brown.  Very  frequently 


Jasper. 


26  5 


these  colors  form  stripes  or  zones  in  the  stone,  which  are 
probably  the  result  of  decomposition  of  the  upper  surface. 
An  Egyptian  Jasper  in  the  Mineralogical  Collection  of 
the  British  Museum  (now  at  South  Kensington)  is  re¬ 
markable  for  displaying  on  its  fractured  surface  a  very 
good  likeness  of  the  poet  Chaucer,  produced  accidentally 
by  the  natural  markings  of  the  stone.  The  Brown  Jasper, 
with  its  concentrated  light  or  dark  stripes,  is  found  in 
abundance  in  the  ridges  and  sands  of  the  desert.  Near 
Cairo,  it  occurs  in  strata  which  probably  belong  to  the 
cretaceous  formation. 

Red  Jasper  is  found  in  great  plenty  near  Muhleim, 
in  Breslau,  in  the  granular  iron  ore  of  that  district,  which 
suggests  a  similar  origin  with  that  of  flint. 

Common  Jasper ,  generally  red  and  brown,  but  some¬ 
times  yellow  and  black,  is  found  in  many  localities  ;  for 
example,  in  the  old  rocks  of  North  Wales  and  in  Scotland. 

Riband  or  Striped  Jasper  occurs  in  compact  masses 
with  a  conchoidal  fracture.  It  has  stripes  or  zones  of 
grey,  green,  yellow,  red,  and  brown,  and  is  mostly  found 
in  Siberia  ;  but  is  also  obtained  in  smaller  quantities  in 
Sicily,  Corsica,  the  Hartz,  and  Tyrol. 

The  so-called  Porcelam  Jasper  is  only  burnt  clay. 
The  many-colored  Jasper  has  frequent  rents,  whereby  the 
appearance  and  lustre  suffer.  In  Sicily  they  practice  the 
art  of  filling  up  the  fissures  or  rents  with  a  cement  made 
of  nut-oil  and  tragacanth  ;  but  when  this  cement  becomes 
quite  dry  the  rents  re-open.  Jasper  is  abundant  in  New 
South  Wales,  where  it  is  found  of  nearly  every  shade  of 
color.  At  Pink’s  Creek  a  clay  slate  has  been  converted 
into  Riband  Jasper. 

Thomas  Nicols  writes  :  “  This  gem  or  stone  of  price, 
for  its  fulness  of  glory,  and  excellence  of  beauty,  cannot 
admit  of  any  foyl  or  tincture  to  commend  its  beauty 


266 


Jasper. 


withal  ;  and  further,  it  is  ascribed,  by  way  of  glory,  to  the 
King  of  Egypt,  that  the  first  adulteration  of  the  Jasper 
by  tincture  was  from  him  :  but  the  glory  of  this  praise,  if 
I  be  not  mistaken,  doth  even  become  his  shame.” 

Jasper. 

Chemical  Composition : — 

Silica  ...  ...  ...  99*5 

Oxide  of  iron  ...  ...  5 

1  oo-o 


Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  2‘6 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  7 

Form  ...  ...  ...  Amorphous. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

LABRADOR. 


HE  Spaniards  found  amongst  the  ornaments 
of  the  Indians,  dwelling  upon  the  shores  of 
the  Amazon,  grotesque  figures  formed  of  this 
mineral,  supposed  to  have  been  exhumed 
from  the  tombs  of  the  old  Peruvians.  It  is  now  found 
principally  on  the  northern  coast  of  Labrador,  and  was 
originally  sent  home  by  the  Moravian  missionaries. 

From  its  occurrence  in  the  Peninsula  of  Labrador, 
where  it  forms,  by  its  remarkable  brilliancy  of  color,  the 
“fire  rocks”  of  the  Indians,  it  is  variously  known  as 
Labrador ,  Labradorite,  or  Labrador  felspar.  The  last 
name  shows  that  it  belongs  to  the  great  family  of  Fel¬ 
spars.  It  is,  indeed,  a  common  constituent  of  many  rocks, 
but  only  exceptional  specimens  are  sufficiently  beautiful 
to  be  used  as  ornamental  stones. 

Generally  speaking,  the  body-color  is  a  dull  grey, 
brown,  or  greenish  brown  ;  but  typical  specimens  of  the 
mineral  possess  a  remarkable  iridescent  chatoyancy,  or 
internal  reflection  of  prismatic  hues,  especially  bright 
blue  and  green,  with  more  or  less  golden  yellow,  peach 
color,  and  red.  From  its  remarkable  play  of  color  it  has 
become  a  great  favorite  with  many  connoisseurs,  and  is 
much  used  for  cameos.  The  colors  are  best  seen  when 
the  stone  is  polished  flat,  parallel  to  the  reflecting  sur¬ 
faces, 


268 


Labrador. 


In  addition  to  the  brilliant  iridescence,  many  speci¬ 
mens  of  Labrador  exhibit  a  peculiar  spangled  appearance 
like  that  of  Avanturine.  The  iridescence  is  due  to  the 
presence  of  numberless  thin  plates,  which  give  rise  to  what 
are  called  “  interference  phenomena,”  whereby  a  peculiar 
brilliancy  is  obtained,  something  like  that  on  a  peacock’s 
feather.  The  spangled  effect  is  attributable  to  very 
minute  plates  of  oxide  of  iron  distributed  through  the 
stone.  It  is  not,  however,  every  piece  of  Labrador  that 
exhibits  these  phenomena.  The  stones  which  have  the 
most  beautiful  colors  come  from  the  coast  of  Labrador 
and  St.  Paul’s  Island,  where  they  occur  in  masses,  and 
from  Finland,  where  they  are  found  in  loose  blocks. 

Great  care  has  to  be  taken  in  the  manipulation  of  this 
stone  to  preserve  the  play  of  color  ;  for  if  any  facets  are 
given  to  it,  this  generally  disappears.  Large  and  beauti¬ 
ful  specimens  of  this  stone  are  much  valued.  The  first 
block  of  Labrador  was  brought  to  Europe  in  1775  ,  and 
it  was  discovered  in  Russia  in  1781.  Still  later,  two 
blocks  were  found  on  the  shores  of  the  Paulkovla,  which 
exceeded  all  hitherto  known  specimens  in  size,  one 
weighing  1,000  lbs. 

Labrador. 

Composition  : — Silicate  of  aluminium,  calcium,  and  sodium. 


Silica 

.  52T. 

Alumina 

.  30'3- 

Lime 

.  12-3. 

Soda 

.  4'5- 

IOO’O 

Specific  Gravity 

.  27. 

Hardness 

6. 

Crystalline  System 

Triclinic. 

Form . 

...  Usually  in  cleavable  masses. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

LAPIS-LAZULI. 


HIS  stone  is  remarkable  for  its  beautiful  blue 
color,  whence  the  Arabians  call  it  Azul , 
meaning  “blue.”  It  is,  without  doubt,  the 
Sapphire  of  the  Ancients — a  blue  stone  which 
Theophrastus  describes  as  “  spotted  with  gold  dust,”  while 
Pliny  speaks  of  it  as  being  “like  to  the  serene  blue  heavens, 
fretted  with  golden  fire.”  The  “gold  ”  mentioned  by  these 
and  other  ancient  authors  refers  to  the  spangles  of  brass¬ 
like  iron-pyrites  which  are  commonly  dispersed  through 
the  rich  blue  substance  of  the  Lapis-Lazuli. 

The  color  of  the  stone  varies  from  pale  azure  to  deep 
blue,  with  a  tint  of  green  ;  but  is  seldom  quite  pure,  being 
often  mottled  with  white  and  yellow  spots.  Indeed,  the 
Lapis-Lazuli  is  not  a  homogeneous  substance,  but  consists 
of  a  definite  blue  mineral,  which  is  probably  referable  to 
the  species  Haiiyne,  associated  with  a  colorless  substance, 
whence  its  mottled  appearance.  It  is  brittle,  has  but  little 
lustre,  and  is  translucent  only  at  the  corners  or  thin  edges. 

The  precise  origin  of  the  beautiful  blue  color  of  the 
Lapis-Lazuli  is  still  a  matter  on  which  chemical  opinion  is 
divided.  It  is  usually  referred  to  the  presence  of  a  sul¬ 
phide,  probably  of  sodium  and  iron,  but  it  appears  likely  that 
the  sulphur  is  present  in  the  form  both  of  a  sulphide  and 
of  a  sulphate.  Lapis-Lazuli  fuses  with  great  difficulty, 
and  expands  before  the  blow-pipe,  after  which  it  becomes 


270 


Lapis-Lazuli. 


a  porous,  colorless  glass  ;  but  if  heated  with  saltpetre,  it 
turns  to  a  beautiful  green.  According  to  Field,  the  variety 
of  this  stone,  which  comes  from  the  Cordilleras,  loses  its 
blue  color  by  heat,  but  regains  it  on  cooling.  The  color 
is  discharged  by  the  action  of  strong  acids. 

In  the  Cordilleras,  near  the  sources  of  the  Cazadero 
and  Vias— little  tributaries  of  the  Rio  Grande — not  far 
from  the  high  road  leading  to  the  Argentine  Republic, 
and  a  short  distance  from  the  great  watershed  in  the  Chili 
dominions,  the  Lapis-Lazuli  is  found  in  a  thick  stratum  of 
carbonate  of  lime,  accompanied  by  small  quantities  of  iron 
pyrites.  This  stratum  rests  upon  slate,  and  is  covered  by 
another  stratum  consisting  of  rich  iron-ore,  which  contains 
a  large  amount  of  Garnet.  Over  this  last  lies  the  granite, 
constituting  the  summit  of  these  mountains. 

Lapis-Lazuli  is  also  found  in  Siberia,  on  the  shore  of 
the  Shudank,  particularly  on  the  lands  near  the  Baikal 
Lake,  into  which  that  river  empties  itself.  Marco  Polo,  in 
his  travels  to  the  princes  of  Tatary  in  1271,  found  it  in 
the  upper  district  of  the  Oxus,  mixed  with  iron  ore, 
whence  the  Armenian  merchants  still  bring  it  to  the  market 
of  Orenburg,  in  eastern  Russia.  In  many  provinces  of 
China,  and  in  Bucharia,  it  is  found  in  granular  limestone 
with  iron  pyrites,  and,  on  the  banks  of  the  Indus,  in  a 
greyish  limestone. 

The  Lapis-Lazuli  was  used  in  classical  times  for 
cameos  and  intaglios,  of  which  a  number  remain  to  this 
day.  The  Chinese  have  for  a  long  period,  worked  it  into 
vases,  caskets,  buttons,  cups,  and  the  like,  and  have  also 
used  it  for  porcelain  painting.  There  is  a  prejudice 
against  Lapis-Lazuli,  as  it  loses  polish  by  constant  wear 
and  becomes  dull.  The  stone  is,  however,  used  to  a 
limited  extent  for  rings,  pins,  and  crosses,  as  well  as 
for  larger  objects,  such  as  caskets,  vases,  candlesticks, 


Lapis-Lazuli. 


271 


statuettes,  watch  cases,  and  handles  for  sticks  and  um¬ 
brellas.  In  Italy  it  is  a  favorite  stone  for  ornamenting 
churches,  and  in  the  chapel  of  San  Martini,  at  Naples,  the 
Lapis-Lazuli  is  profusely  employed  not  only  for  decora¬ 
tive  work,  but  even  as  a  structural  material.  In  the  Zarskoe 
Palace,  near  St.  Petersburg,  there  is  an  apartment,  called 
Catherine  IPs.  chamber,  formed  entirely  of  Lapis-Lazuli 
and  Amber.  This  stone  was  in  early  times  much  valued, 
because  it  was  the  only  material  from  which  the  true  ultra- 
marine  of  the  artist,  so  celebrated  for  its  effect  and  per¬ 
manence,  could  be  obtained.  Thos.  Nicols  relates  that  in 
his  day  the  fragments  of  it  were  worth  ten  crowns  a  pound 
for  when  very  good  this  quantity  would  supply  ten  ounces 
of  ultra-marine.  Artificial  ultra-marine  is  now  prepared 
on  a  commercial  scale,  and  closely  resembles  the  natural 
pigment,  not  only  in  its  splendid  color,  but  even  in  its 
chemical  composition. 

Lapis- Lazuli. 


Composition — Silica 

...  45-5 

Alumina 

...  31-8 

Soda 

...  9-1 

Lime 

•••  3'5 

Iron 

...  o-8 

Sulphuric  acid  ... 

...  5-9 

Sulphur  ... 

...  09 

Chlorine... 

04 

Water  and  loss  ... 

21 

1000 

Specific  Gravity 

2-3  to  2'5 

Hardness 

...  5‘5 

Crystalline  System 

Isometric 

Form  ...  Dodecahedron,  but  very  rare  ;  generally 
massive. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

MALACHITE. 


HERE  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  stone  was 
known  and  valued  by  the  Ancients,  yet  it 
must  have  been  known  by  some  other  name, 
and  it  has  been  suggested  that  our  Malachite 
was  the  Smaragdus  Medicus  of  Pliny.  It  is  true  that  this 
writer  speaks  also  of  a  mineral  called  Molochites,  which  he 
describes  as  an  opaque  stone,  of  a  rich  Emerald-green,  and 
says  that  its  name  was  derived  from  the  color  of  the 
Malve ;  that  it  was  much  used  for  seals,  and  was  worn  by 
children  as  a  certain  protection  against  evil.  But  there  is 
reason  to  believe  that  Pliny’s  Molochites  was  probably  a 
Jasper,  and  not  our  modern  Malachite,  which  is  a  car¬ 
bonate  of  copper,  in  no  way  related  to  the  Jasper. 

Malachite  is  not  rare.  It  is  found,  indeed,  in  almost 
every  locality  which  yields  copper  ores,  occurring  princi¬ 
pally  in  the  upper  parts  of  the  deposits  where  atmospheric 
influences  have  been  at  work,  and  have  converted  the  ore 
into  a  carbonate  of  copper.  The  largest  and  choicest  speci¬ 
mens  have  been  obtained  from  the  mines  of  the  Urals,  and 
from  the  great  deposits  of  copper-ore  in  South  Australia. 


Malachite. 


273 


In  our  own  country  it  is  not  uncommon  in  Cornwall, 
although  not  occurring  in  masses  sufficiently  fine  to  be 
wrought  as  an  ornamental  stone.  The  copper-mines  of 
Chessy,  near  Lyons — now  abandoned — yielded  at  one 
time  beautiful  crystals,  which  showed  the  origin  of  Mala¬ 
chite  from  red  oxide  of  copper. 

Malachite  is  occasionally  found  in  crystals,  but  perfect 
specimens  are  rare.  Its  color  is  green  of  various  shades,  from 
a  bright  apple-green  to  nearly  black,  with  a  paler  streak  ; 
its  lustre  is  adamantine  inclining  to  vitreous,  but  the  fibrous 
varieties  are  silky.  It  is  nearly  opaque,  and  brittle. 

Malachite  usually  occurs  in  masses  with  rounded  sur¬ 
faces — mammillated,  botryoidal  and  reniform — which  have 
evidently  been  deposited  from  solution  in  water,  much 
in  the  same  way  that  deposits  of  stalagmitic  marble  have 
been  formed.  Its  gradual  deposition  in  successive  layers 
is  shewn  by  the  concentric  structure  which  specimens  of 
Malachite  so  often  display.  Owing  to  this  structure,  a 
slab  of  polished  Malachite  usually  exhibits  a  beautifully 
variegated  pattern,  different  shades  of  green  being  disposed 
in  zones  and  bands,  much  like  the  figuring  of  an  Agate. 
It  is  polished  by  means  of  tripoli,  on  a  tin  plate.  When 
heated  in  a  glass  tube,  it  gives  off  water,  and  becomes 
black  ;  it  fuses  with  borax  to  a  deep-green  globule, 
and  ultimately  affords  a  bead  of  copper. 

Owing  to  its  magnificent  color,  pleasing  pattern,  and 
capability  of  polish,  Malachite  is  highly  valued  for  orna¬ 
mental  purposes,  and  is  frequently  inlaid  with,  and  often 
used  to  cover,  inferior  stones,  for  vases,  tables,  caskets, 
and  the  like.  In  Russia,  furniture  and  even  doors  are 
occasionally  veneered  with  thin  slabs  of  Malachite.  In 
the  collection  at  St.  Petersburg,  there  is  a  mass  31  feet 
square,  of  the  most  beautiful  emerald-green  color;  it 
weighs  90  lbs.,  and  is  valued  at  £82,000. 

S 


Malachite. 


274 


An  interesting  specimen  of  Malachite  originally  in 
the  Hope  Collection,  of  an  octagonal  shape,  was  of  two 
colors  ;  one  half  being  of  dark,  the  other  half  of  light-green. 
The  halves  were  defined  by  a  curved  line  of  varied  hue, 
and  the  darker  half  marked  by  round  spots  of  a  lighter 
tint. 

From  the  mines  at  Nischne-Tagilsk,  which  belonged  to 
the  late  Prince  Demidoff,  a  block  of  beautiful  green  Mala¬ 
chite  was  taken  out,  16  feet  long,  7  a  feet  wide,  and 
feet  thick. 

At  Versailles  there  is  a  room  in  the  Palace,  the  furni¬ 
ture  and  ornaments  of  which  are  of  Malachite,  and  similar 
rooms  are  to  be  found  in  other  palaces. 

One  of  the  most  perfect  specimens  of  Malachite  work 
is  the  vase  which  stood  for  a  long  time  in  the  great  rotunda 
of  the  old  Museum  in  Berlin.  It  is  covered  with  tiny 
pieces,  cut  in  little  “  tables,”  and  so  joined  as  not  to  be 
perceived.  It  was  made  by  order  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas 
in  honor  of  King  William  III.  of  Prussia. 

Of  an  antique  engraving  on  Malachite,  a  cameo  with 
the  head  of  Isis,  Kohler  speaks  in  the  highest  praise. 
He  says,  “The  head  of  the  goddess  is  drawn  with  a 
definiteness,  tenderness,  and  refinement  that  could  not  be 
surpassed.” 

There  is  another  mineral,  of  very  nearly  the  same 
chemical  composition  as  Malachite,  being  a  hydrated  car¬ 
bonate  of  copper,  but  widely  different  in  color.  This  is  the 
mineral  termed  Chessylite,  from  its  occurrence  in  beau¬ 
tiful  crystals  at  Chessy,  in  France.  Its  color  is  a  deep 
azure  blue,  whence  it  is  sometimes  called  Azurite.  It 
is  a  common  associate  of  Malachite,  but  is  not  used  as 
an  ornamental  stone. 

Mention  may  also  be  made  of  a  silicate  of  copper 
named  Chrysocolla ,  which  far  more  closely  resembles 


Malachite. 


2/5 


Malachite,  the  chief  points  of  difference  being  found  in  its 
lower  hardness  and  specific  gravity,  the  latter  falling  as 
low  as  2'2.  Some  specimens  of  Chrysocolla  bear  a  very 
close  resemblance  to  Turquoise. 

Malachite. 

Chemical  Composition — Copper  oxide  ...  71 ‘9 

Carbon  dioxide  ...  I9'Q 
Water  ...  ...  8-2 

iocro 

Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  ...  37  to  4'0 

Hardness  ...  ...  ...  ...  3-5  to  4-o 

Crystalline  System  ...  ...  ...  Monoclinic 

Form  ...  Usually  modified  oblique  rhombic  prisms, 
but  rare  ;  usually  botryoidal  or  stalagmitic. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

MOONSTONE,  SELENITE,  AND  SUNSTONE. 


INERALOGISTS  of  the  present  day  apply 
the  name  Selenite  to  the  finer  varieties  of 
Gypsum — a  common  mineral  much  too  soft 
to  be  of  any  real  service  in  jewelry,  yet  pre¬ 
senting  in  its  fibrous  forms  so  pleasing  a  lustre  as  to  be 
occasionally  cut  and  polished  as  an  ornamental  stone. 
This  fibrous  gypsum  or  Selenite  occurs  in  the  New  Red 
Marls  of  Derbyshire  and  Staffordshire,  and  especially  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Newark,  in  Nottinghamshire,  where 
it  is  worked  to  a  limited  extent  into  beads  and  other 
trivial  objects.  It  is  sometimes  known  in  trade  as  “  Derby¬ 
shire  spar.”  Selenite  derives  its  name  from  its  soft  lustre, 
suggestive  of  moonshine  ;  but  though  the  word  literally 
signifies  “moonstone,”  no  jeweller  would  think  of  desig¬ 
nating  it  by  such  a  term — the  word  “  moonstone  ”  being 
invariably  applied  to  an  entirely  different  stone.  It  is 


Moonstone,  Selenite,  and  Sunstone. 


277 


clear,  too,  that  the  Selenites  of  the  Ancients  must  have 
been  a  stone  differing  from  our  modern  Selenite — which 
is  a  hydrated  sulphate  of  calcium,  so  soft  as  to  be  readily 
scratched  by  the  finger-nail. 

“The  Selenite,”  says  Andreas  Baccius,  “  is  a  kind  of 
gem  which  doth  contain  in  it  the  image  of  the  moon,  and 
it  doth  represent  it  increasing  and  decreasing  according  to 
the  increase  and  decrease  of  the  moon  in  its  monthly 
changes.”  The  Greeks,  who  called  it  A'phroselene,  which 
signifies  the  splendour  of  the  moon,  or  a  beam  of  the 
moon,  with  their  lively  imagination,  often  discovered  in 
natural  objects  resemblances  to  other  forms,  and  ascribed 
to  them  virtues  and  properties  according  to  their  interpre¬ 
tation.  The  Moonstone  is  a  good  example  of  this.  The 
Romans  called  it  Lunaris,  Dioscorides  says  “  it  is  found 
in  Arabia,  and  is  endued  with  virtues,  as  of  making  trees 
fruitful,  and  of  curing  epilepsy ;  ”  he  adds  “  that  in  the 
night  it  will  illuminate  the  place  that  is  next  to  it,  yet  not 
by  any  transmission  of  light,  but  by  the  collection  of  light 
into  itself.”  This  stone  is  remarkable  rather  for  the 
fables  which  cling  to  it,  than  for  its  substantial  value  or 
qualities. 

Whatever  the  moonstone  of  the  Ancients  may  have 
been,  the  moonstone  of  the  present  day  is  an  opalescent 
variety  of  orthoclase-felspar  termed  Adularia — a  name 
which  it  derives  from  Mount  Adula,  one  of  the  highest 
peaks  of  St.  Gothard,  where  it  occurs.  The  best  speci¬ 
mens,  however,  come  from  Ceylon.  There  can  be  little 
doubt,  therefore,  but  that  the  Romans  received  consign¬ 
ments  of  it,  with  the  other  products  of  Taprobane  (Ceylon). 
Notwithstanding  the  pleasing  pearly  lustre  of  this  stone, 
it  is  used  to  only  a  very  limited  extent  by  the  jeweller. 

A  very  curious  variety,  the  “  Fish’s  Eye,”  becomes 
red  by  transmitted  light,  undergoing  the  same  changes  as 


27§ 


Moonstone,  Selenite,  and  Snnstone. 


a  bead  of  Schmeltze  paste.  Pliny’s  Selenite  seems  to  be 
a  variety  of  this  last,  “  shining  with  yellow  lustre  from  a 
colorless  ground,  containing  an  image  of  the  moon,  which 
daily  waxes  or  wanes  according  to  its  state.”  The  ori¬ 
ginal  notion  was  that  the  moon’s  image  in  the  gem  sym¬ 
pathised  with  its  changes. 

Marbodus  describes  the  stone  itself  as  growing  and 
shrinking,  and  its  color  as  that  of  Jasper  or  Emerald — 
another  indication  that  he  had  the  Ceylon  gem  in  view. 
It  is  said  to  be  found  also  in  Arabia. 

Trellus,  to  much  the  same  effect,  says: — “It  is  so 
named  because  it  displays,  as  it  were,  an  eye  within  itself, 
which  increases  or  diminishes  according  to  the  growth  or 
decline  of  the  moon.” 

While  one  member  of  the  felspar  group  is  known  as 
Moonstone,  another  is  recognized  as  Snnstone.  This  is  a 
reddish  or  golden-colored  variety  of  Oligoclasc,  exhibiting 
internal  prismatic  reflections  and  minute  spangles  due  to 
the  presence  of  included  crystals  of  oxide  of  iron  or  of 
mica.  It  is  found  to  a  limited  extent  in  Norway,  and  is 
but  rarely  employed  in  jewelry.  The  Sunstone  also  occurs 
at  Media,  Delaware  Co.,  Pennsylvania,  and  at  Orange 
Court  House,  Amelia  Co.,  Virginia. 

Orpheus  recognized  in  his  day  two  kinds  of  “  Gem 
of  the  Sun.”  “  In  both  there  appear  rays  shining  straight 
and  like  luminous  hair,  but  the  colors  of  the  stones  are 
different — the  one  would  be  deemed  a  crystal,  the  other 
a  chrysolite,  except  for  the  hair.”  The  first  of  these  is 
evidently  the  Venus's  hair-crystal,  which  he  describes.  He 
further  says  that  “  Phoebus  hath  planted  in  both  species 
a  mighty  spirit,  which  gives  glory  and  heroic  beauty  to 
whomsoever  shall  wear  them  with  due  understanding.” 

The  Chemical  Composition  of  the  two  Felspars  may  be 
taken  as  follows  ; — 


Moonstone,  Selenite,  and  Sunstone. 


279 


Orthoclase.  I  Oligoclase. 


Silica  ... 

647 

Silica  ... 

...  6 1 -9 

Alumina 

i8-4 

Alumina 

...  24-1 

Potash... 

169 

Lime  ... 

...  5'2 

IOO'O 

Soda  ... 

...  8-8 

IOO'O 

Crystalline  System — 

Crystalline  System — 

Monoclinic. 

Triclinic. 

Specific  Gravity — 2’ 5  to  2 '6 

Specific  Gravity . 

.2-5  to  27 

Hardness  ... 

6 

Hardness  ... 

6 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

OBSIDIAN. 


OLOGISTS  are  in  the  habit  of  applying 
this  name  to  a  volcanic  glass  or  fused  lava. 
At  first  sight  it  may  seem  strange  that  such 
a  substance  should  find  a  description  in  a 
work  on  Precious  Stones.  Obsidian  is,  however,  occasion¬ 
ally  cut  and  polished,  and  is  by  no  means  an  ineffective 
stone.  It  is  generally  of  bottle-green  color,  and  when 
cut  looks  somewhat  like  a  Peridot  or  a  Green  Tourmaline. 
The  great  objection  to  the  stone  is  its  softness,  which  is 
rather  less  than  that  of  Felspar :  most  Obsidian  is,  in  fact, 
formed  by  the  fusion  of  a  felspathic  lava.  By  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico,  Obsidian  was  used 
for  making  knives  and  other  cutting  implements.  A 
Siberian  variety,  with  a  pleasing  silvery  sheen,  is  occa¬ 
sionally  cut  and  polished  for  use  in  the  manufacture  of 
snuff-boxes  and  other  ornamental  articles. 

Obsidian. 

Chemical  Composition : — 

Silicate  of  alumina,  potash,  iron,  and  lime. 
Specific  Gravity  ...  ...  ...  2 '6 

Hardness  .  .  ...  ...  ...  6' 5 

Form,  ...  ,,,  ...  ...  Amorphous. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

ORIENTAL  ONYX. 


NYX  is  a  very  celebrated  variety  of  tinted 
Agate,  having  its  colors  arranged  in  parallel 
strata.  The  Oriental  Onyx  is  obtained  from 
India,  Egypt,  Arabia,  Armenia,  and  Babylon. 
The  inferior  variety  mostly  comes  from  Bohemia  and  from 
Uruguay. 

Some  stone,  called  by  translators  Onyx,  ranked  among 
the  highest  class  of  gems  in  the  ante-Christian  world.  It 
is  often  mentioned  in  the  writings  of  Greek  and  old 
Hebrew  authors.  Pliny  likens  it  in  color  to  the  human 
finger-nail  ;  and  it  is  upon  this  similarity  that  its  Greek 
name  Onyx  is  based.  According  to  this  author,  the  stone 
is  marked  with  white,  horn-colored,  brown,  and  black 
bands  or  zones,  arranged  in  flat,  horizontal  planes. 

The  Greeks  attached  the  following  mythological 
origin  to  this  stone  :  “  Cupid,  with  the  sharp  point  of  his 
arrow,  cut  the  nails  of  the  sleeping  Venus,  which  fell  into 
the  Indus  ;  but  as  they  were  of  heavenly  origin  they  sank, 
and  became  metamorphosed  into  Onyx.’’ 

The  Onyx  has  been  chiefly  used  for  cameos,  and 


282 


Oriental  Onyx. 


very  costly  vessels.  In  making  the  cameo,  the  figure  is 
carved  out  of  the  light  color,  and  stands  in  relief  on  the 
dark  ground. 

Amongst  the  most  celebrated  of  these  stones  is  the 
“  Schaffhausen  ”  Onyx — a  large  and  beautifully  marked 
specimen,  and  one  of  the  most  cherished  treasures  of  the 
Canton  of  Schaffhausen.  The  figure  engraved  on  it  is  a 
female  wearing  a  crown  of  honor,  holding  in  one  hand  a 
horn  of  plenty,  in  the  other  a  Mercury’s  staff.  The  figure 
Dr.  Oeri  identifies  as  that  of  “  Pax  ”  and  the  cameo  was  cut 
between  A.D.  68  and  82.  It  is  of  great  historical  interest 
and  is  supposed  to  have  been  brought  from  Constantinople 
by  Ortlieb  von  Frohburg,  who  was  a  trusted  friend  of 
Konrad  III.  and  Friedrich  I.,  and  took  part  in  the  Second 
Crusade.  The  later  history  of  the  gem  is  obscure,  nor 
can  it  be  ascertained  for  certain  how  it  came  into  the 
possession  of  the  Canton  of  Schaffhausen.  There  is  a 
tradition  that  this  Onyx  was  a  part  of  the  loot  made  at 
the  “glorious  victory  of  Granson  this  is  likely,  for  the 
talisman  must  have  been  the  highly-prized  possession  of 
a  royal  or  knightly  owner,  and  only  as  a  spoil  of  war,  is  it 
likely  to  have  been  acquired  by  a  Swiss  Canton.  It  is 
most  jealously  guarded  by  the  Commune,  being  too  rich 
in  associations  to  be  sold,  even  by  so  thrifty  a  people  as 
the  Swiss. 

One  of  the  most  famous  of  the  Antique  Cameos  is 
the  Mantuan  Vase  ;  the  base  is  brown,  and  on  it,  in  relief, 
are  groups  of  white  and  yellow  figures,  representing  Ceres 
and  Triptolemus  in  search  of  Proserpine.  The  vase  is 
formed  from  a  single  stone,  and  is  seven  inches  high  and 
two-and-a-half  broad.  There  is  an  Onyx  Cameo  in  the 
Vatican  Library,  representing  Octavius  Augustus ;  and 
in  the  Emperor’s  Cabinet,  at  Vienna,  there  are  some 
specimens  of  exquisitely  cut  Antique  Onyx.  In  the 


Oriental  Onyx. 


283 


Museo  Nationale,  at  Naples,  there  are  many  specimens  ; 
among  others,  an  Onyx  cameo  (eleven  inches  by  nine), 
representing  the  apotheosis  of  Augustus  ;  and  another  with 
the  head  of  Medusa  carved  on  one  side,  and  the  apotheosis 
of  Ptolemy  on  the  other.  Among  the  remarkable  Cameos 
in  the  National  Library  of  Paris,  is  one  of  Tiberius  with 
an  ox  ;  a  second,  of  Marcus  Aurelius  and  Faustina  ;  a 
third,  of  Agrippina  with  her  two  children  ;  and  a  fourth, 
of  Jupiter  armed  with  lightning.  An  Antique  Sard-Onyx 
Cameo,  in  the  Mineralogical  Museum  of  the  Marquis  Dree, 
representing  the  bust  of  Faustina,  cut  on  a  five-colored 
basis,  was  sold  for  ^285  8s.  qd. 

In  a  work  on  the  Ancient  Tombs  and  Temples  in 
Cyprus,  it  is  stated  that  among  the  relics  there  found 
were  numerous  donaria  consisting  of  engraved  gems  and 
Onyxes,  supposed  to  have  been  worn  not  less  than  three 
or  four  centuries  anterior  to  the  Christian  era. 

Onyx  has  been  found  in  such  large  masses  that  small 
pillars  have  been  made  of  it :  there  are  six  such  in  the 
Basilica  of  St.  Peter,  at  Rome.  At  Cologne,  in  the  Temple 
of  the  Three  Magi,  there  is  one  broader  than  the  palm 
of  the  hand.  Appianus  says  that  “  Mithridates,  King  of 
Pontus,  had  2,000  cups  of  this  gem  it  is  scarcely  pos¬ 
sible,  however,  to  believe  that  they  could  have  been  of  true 
Onyx  :  probably  they  were  simply  Onyx-marble. 

Boetius  mentions  the  Arabian  Onyx,  as  “black,  with 
white  zones  or  circles,  by  reason  of  which  many  colors  are 
caused  in  it.  It  is  called  an  Onyx  only  when  the  black 
appeareth,  as  it  were,  under  a  white.  It  is  a  gem  that 
hath  many  veins,  compassed  about  with  milky  zones  or 
girdles,  and  meeting  in  a  pleasing  concord  and  consent.” 

It  is  not  at  all  probable  that  the  Onyx  which  Professor 
Aaron  Pick  shows  to  be  the  Shouham  of  Holy  Writ,  was 
the  same  composite  stone  with  that  which  modern  writers 


284 


Oriental  Onyx. 


designate  by  that  name,  for  it  is  classed  with  the  Ruby, 
Topaz,  Diamond,  Chrysolite,  Jasper,  Sapphire,  and  Chryso- 
prase.  This  great  Hebrew  scholar  believes  it  to  have  been 
the  Carbuncle. 

The  Onyx  of  ancient  writers  appears  to  have  been  in 
most  cases  a  banded  stone,  but  while  it  was  in  some  in¬ 
stances  a  siliceous  material,  like  the  modern  Onyx,  in 
others  it  was  certainly  a  stalagmitic  variety  of  carbonate  of 
lime,  exhibiting  stripes  due  to  its  stratified  structure.  By 
modern  mineralogists  the  term  Onyx  is  restricted  to  an 
Agate-like  substance,  formed  of  alternating  white  and 
brown  or  black  layers  of  Chalcedony.  When  the  white 
zone  is  so  thin  that  the  deeper  dark-colored  layer  shines 
through  with  a  bluish  tint,  the  stone  is  called  a  Nicolo,  an 
Italian  corruption  of  “Onicolo”  or  “Little  Onyx.”  If 
the  strata  be  alternately  white  and  red,  or  reddish-brown, 
the  resulting  mixture  is  known  as  Sardonyx. 

No  Precious  Stone  varies  more  in  value  than  the 
Oriental  Onyx.  The  price  of  carefully  selected  stones, 
sufficient  to  form  a  necklace,  may  range  from  one  hundred 
to  five  hundred  guineas.  It  is  used  chiefly  for  fine  art 
jewelry,  and  is  generally  set  with  Diamonds  :  it  is  also 
highly  esteemed  by  the  Indians,  who  wear  it  with  Pearls. 
No  stone  is  more  difficult  to  determine  than  this,  as  the 
Common  Onyx  is  now  so  skilfully  dyed  to  represent  the 
Oriental,  as  almost  to  escape  detection,  even  by  expe¬ 
rienced  judges. 

Oriental  Onyx. 

Composition—  Silica,  with  traces  of  coloring  matter. 
Specific  Gravity  •••  2 ‘6 

Hardness  ...  •••  •••  7 

Form  ...  ...  ...  Amorphous. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

PERIDOT  OR  CHRYSOLITE. 


HHIS  is  a  very  ancient  stone,  at  one  time  con¬ 
sidered  of  more  value  than  the  Diamond,  and 
worn  for  many  centuries  by  ladies  as  an  or- 

In  the  Wardrobe  Book  of  Edward  I.,  the  Peridot  is 
mentioned  among  the  jewels  of  the  deceased  Bishop  of 
Bath  and  Wells,  which  were  escheated  to  the  Crown. 

The  Peridot  has  a  very  pleasing  yellowish-green  color, 
and  is  susceptible  of  a  fine  polish,  but  it  is  so  soft  as  to  be 
easily  scratched.  It  is  a  stone  that  requires  considerable 
skill  and  care  in  polishing,  the  final  lustre  being  imparted 
to  it  by  means  of  sulphuric  acid  ;  yet  curiously  enough, 
from  the  chemical  nature  of  the  mineral,  it  would  gelati¬ 
nize  if  immersed  in  that  acid  for  any  considerable  time. 
The  Oriental  Peridot  is  a  beautiful  gem.  It  is  less  dense, 
however,  and  less  hard  than  stones  which  are  generally 


286 


Peridot  or  Chrysolite. 


ranked  in  the  first  class.  It  possesses  double  refraction, 
and  acquires  electricity  by  friction.  It  generally  occurs  in 
fragments  much  worn  by  the  action  of  water,  but  well- 
defined  crystals  have  been  found  in  the  lavas  of  Vesuvius, 
which  prove  that  its  native  form  is  that  of  the  rhombic 
prism.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  Peridot  has  been  dis¬ 
covered  in  “aerolites”  or  masses  of  meteoric  stone  and 
iron. 

Although  the  Peridot  has  not  retained  its  pristine 
repute,  it  is  still  occasionally  in  demand,  and  is  much 
valued  by  some  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 

It  has  been  pointed  out  in  treating  of  Chrysoberyl, 
that,  owing  to  lapidaries  calling  that  stone  the  “  Oriental 
Chrysolite,”  considerable  confusion  has  arisen  between  the 
two  gems.  A  comparison  of  their  chemical  composition 
is,  however,  sufficient  to  shew  that  scarcely  any  two 
minerals  differ  more  widely  in  their  constitution — the  one 
being  an  aluminate  of  glucina,  the  other  a  silicate  of  mag¬ 
nesia.  The  Chrysolite  of  mineralogy  is  in  fact,  practically 
the  same  stone  as  the  Peridot. 

Mineralogists  include  the  Chrysolite  and  the  Peridot 
under  the  one  species  Olivine.  The  colors  of  Olivine 
vary  from  light  straw  yellow  to  yellowish  green,  when 
they  receive  the  name  of  Chrysolite  ;  and  thence  to 
a  peculiar  soft  hue,  of  a  delicate  deep  yellowish  green, 
when  they  are  called  Peridot.  It  is  found  in  the  Levant, 
in  Brazil,  Mexico,  South  Africa,  and  other  countries, 
generally  as  small  pebbles,  and  it  occurs  in  fragments  in 
most  of  the  gold  drifts  of  New  South  Wales. 

The  largest  pieces  of  Peridot  which  have  been  pre¬ 
served  from  the  Middle  Ages  remain  unrivalled  by  any 
modern  discovery.  The  finest  resemble  in  color  the 
Emerald.  The  gem  looks  well  if  judiciously  set  in  gold, 
and  the  deeper  the  green  the  more  valuable  the  stone. 


Peridot  or  Chrysolite. 


287 


Peridot  or  Chrysolite. 
Chemical  Composition  : — 

Silica 
Magnesia 
Ferrous  oxide 
Nickel  oxide 
Alumina 

Manganese  oxide  ... 

Loss  ... 


3973 

50-13 

9' *9 
•32 
•22 
•09 
•32 


100-00 


Specific  Gravity 
Hardness 
Crystalline  System 


3'35 

6-5 

Trimetric. 


Form 


Generally  in  water-worn  pebbles. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

PHENAKITE. 


F  late  years,  this  rare  mineral  has  occasionally 
been  used  in  Russia  as  a  gem-stone.  The 
kind  employed  for  this  purpose  is  perfectly 
transparent  and  colorless,  exhibiting  when 
skilfully  cut  great  brilliancy,  and  bearing  much  resem¬ 
blance  to  Diamond.  It  is,  however,  greatly  inferior  to 
Diamond  both  in  hardness  and  in  density. 

Phenakite — like  the  Emerald,  the  Chrysoberyl,  and 
the  Euclase — contains  the  rare  metal  glucinum  or  beryl¬ 
lium.  The  finest  Phenakite  occurs  in  a  brown  mica- 
schist  in  the  Emerald  and  Chrysoberyl  mines  of  Stretnisk, 
on  the  River  Takowja,  not  far  from  Ekaterinburg,  on  the 
Asiatic  slope  of  the  TTals.  It  is  also  found  with  Topaz 
and  Amazonite  in  the  granite  rocks  of  Miask,  in  Siberia. 
Quite  recently  it  has  been  discovered  at  Pike’s  Peak,  in 
Colorado. 


Pkenakite. 


289 


Pkenakite. 

Chemical  Composition  : — 


Silica  ... 

.  54' 2 

Glucina 

1 

1  CO 

xoo'o 


Crystalline  System  ... 

...  ...Rhombohedral, 

Specific  Gravity 

.  3 

Hardness 

...  7'5  to  8 

Form  ... 

Prismatic  crystals 

t 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

QUARTZ  CAT’S  EYE. 


OR  a  description  of  Quartz  Cat’s  Eye,  and  the 
True  Cat’s  Eye,  see  pp.  197 — 201.  Thin 
fibres  of  asbestos  interspersed  in  the  quartz 
give  rise  to  the  characteristic  appearance  of 
this  stone.  It  is  brought  chiefly  from  Ceylon. 

The  Crociclolite,  or  “Wood  Cat’s  Eye,”  of  South 
Africa  has  been  described  at  p.  246. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

ROCK  CRYSTAL. 


EREOF  the  common  opinion  hath  been, 
and  still  remaineth  amongst  us,”  said  the 
learned  Sir  Thomas  Browne,  in  his  famous 
work  on  Vulgar  Errors,  in  1646,  “that 
Crystal  is  nothing  else  but  ice  or  snow  concreted,  and  by 
duration  of  time  congealed  beyond  liquation.  Of  which, 
assertion,  if  prescription  of  time  and  numerosity  of  asser- 
tors  were  a  sufficient  demonstration,  we  might  set  down 
herein  as  an  unquestionable  truth  ;  nor  should  there  need 
ulterior  disquisition.  For  few  opinions  there  are  which 
have  found  so  many  friends,  or  been  so  popularly  received 
through  all  Professions  and  Ages.”  The  word,  crystal 
is,  in  fact,  a  standing  testimony  to  this  strange  belief,  since 
it  owes  its  origin  to  the  Greek  word  krystallos,  which 


292 


Rock  Crystal. 


means  “  ice.”  Pliny,  Seneca,  and  other  ancient  writers — 
not  to  mention  Austin,  Gregory,  Jerome,  and  several  early 
fathers  of  the  Church — have  given  their  adhesion  to  the 
opinion  that  Rock  Crystal  is  nothing  but  water  congealed 
by  a  cold  so  intense  that  ordinary  methods  fail  to  melt  it. 

Modern  science,  however,  dispelling  such  illusions, 
has  proved  that  Rock  Crystal  is  a  pure  and  limpid  form 
of  Quartz — a  natural  variety  of  silica. 

Rock  Crystal  is  found  in  a  variety  of  forms — some¬ 
times  of  extraordinary  size  and  beauty.  Its  color  varies 
from  pure  white  to  greyish-white,  yellow-white,  yellowish- 
brown,  clove-brown,  and  black.  According  to  its  color  it 
receives  a  variety  of  names  :  thus  the  yellow  is  known  as 
Citrine  and  False-Topaz,  the  brown  as  Cairngorm  and 
Smoky-Quartz,  and  the  black  as  Morion.  The  clear 
varieties  are  beautifully  transparent,  and  possess  double 
refraction.  By  friction  it  yields  electricity  which  lasts  about 
half-an-hour,  rarely  longer,  except  under  very  favourable 
conditions.  Before  the  blow-pipe  many  colored  crystals 
lose  their  tints. 

The  frequent  admixture  of  chlorite,  asbestos,  rutile, 
iron  pyrites,  and  actinolite  in  the  crystals  is  very  remark¬ 
able.  The  green  color  of  the  last  is  like  a  blade  of  grass 
enclosed  in  ice.  In  some  specimens  there  are  cavities 
with  liquid  or  gaseous  contents,  which  move  as  the  crystal 
is  turned.  These  specimens  are  mostly  from  Madagascar  : 
some  have  a  thousand  such  small  cavities  in  a  square  inch, 
and  when  subjected  to  friction  give  out  a  perfume  like 
burnt  oil.  The  microscope  shows  that  the  quartz  of 
granite  and  other  crystalline  rocks  often  encloses  a  vast 
number  of  these  minute  cavites. 

The  brilliant  hair-brown  needles  of  Rutile,  penetra¬ 
ting  the  crystal  in  all  directions,  impart  a  curious  appear¬ 
ance  to  the  stone,  and  such  specimens  are  often  cut  for 


Rock  Crystal. 


293 


brooches,  under  the  name  of  Filches  d,'  Amour,  or  “  Cupid’s 
arrows,’’  or  “Venus’s  Hair-Stone.” 

The  places  from  whence  Rock  Crystal  is  derived  are 
so  numerous  that  we  give  but  a  few,  chiefly  those  which 
yield  it  in  large  quantities  for  commerce. 

Among  European  localities  the  most  remarkable  are 
those  in  Switzerland.  Near  St.  Gothard  it  is  found  in 
granite,  associated  with  mica,  hornblende,  and  felspar.  A 
little  distance  from  the  Grimsel,  it  is  found  in  the  mines 
of  Jochle  Berg  and  Zinkenstock.  In  173s  the  yield  from 
the  cave  of  Zinkenstock  alone  was  valued  at  £2,250. 
The  most  famous  mine,  perhaps,  is  that  of  Fischbach,  in 
Visperthal,  which  supplied  the  crystal  for  the  great 
Pyramid  of  Marsfeld,  1797.  This  block  measured  three 
feet  in  diameter,  and  weighed  over  800  lbs.  It  is  now  in 
the  Natural  History  Museum  at  Paris.  The  neighbourhood 
of  Mont  Blanc  yields  beautifully  clear  crystal,  which  affords 
employment  and  wealth  to  the  inhabitants  of  Chamouny. 

The  most  remarkable  discovery  of  Rock  Crystal  on 
record  is  that  which  was  made  in  1867  at  the  Galgenstock, 
above  the  Tiefen  Glacier,  by  a  party  of  tourists  under  the 
guide  Peter  Sulzer,  of  Guttanen.  A  cave  in  the  granite 
yielded  more  than  a  thousand  crystals,  all  of  large  size, 
and  weighing  from  50  lbs.  each  to  upwards  of  3  cwt. 
They  were,  however,  of  dark  color.  In  the  Museum  at 
Berne  there  are  some  magnificent  crystals  from  this  lucky 
discovery.  One  gigantic  crystal,  known  as  the  “  Grand¬ 
father,”  weighs  as  much  as  276  lbs.  ;  while  another,  chris¬ 
tened  “The  King,”  weighs  255  lbs. 

Rock  Crystal  is  also  found  in  Friedeberg,  Salzburg, 
and  Zillerthal  in  Tyrol,  and  in  Hungary,  France,  and 
Scotland.  In  the  clear  cavities  of  the  snow-white 
marble  of  Carrara,  in  Tuscany,  it  is  found  in  great  purity. 
Ceylon  affords  it  abundantly,  and  the  natives  use  it  for 


294 


Rock  Crystal. 


ornamenting  their  temples.  Madagascar  supplies  large 
blocks,  and  the  common  sand  of  this  island  is  full  of  little 
crystals.  But  it  is  from  Brazil  that  our  chief  commercial 
supply  is  obtained,  much  of  it  being  imported  for  the 
use  of  the  optician,  who  cuts  and  polishes  it  in  the  form 
of  spectacle  lenses,  which  are  known  as  “  pebbles.” 

In  this  country  rock  crystal  of  small  size  is  not 
uncommon,  and  is  occasionally  used  as  an  ornamental 
stone,  under  the  local  name  of  “  Diamond,”  such  as  the 
“  Bristol  Diamonds,”  “  Irish  Diamonds,”  and  “  Isle  of  Wight 
Diamonds.” 

Rock  Crystal  was  known  to  the  Ancients.  It  was 
found  in  abundance  in  Midian,  and  was  well  known  in 
Egypt.  The  Greeks  valued  it  for  its  purity  and  its  regular 
form.  Theophrastus  remarks  that  it  was  selected  for 
seals.  Pliny  mentions  several  times  in  his  Nat.  Hist.  37.  9, 
that  the  Romans  were  well  acquainted  with  its  habitat  in 
the  Alps,  and  that  they  employed  it  largely  for  household 
luxury  and  adornment.  They  worked  it  into  wine  jugs, 
cups,  vases,  and  other  vessels,  such  as  moderns  now 
obtain  much  cheaper  from  the  glass  factories.  The 
Ancients,  believing  it  to  be  ice,  feared  to  expose  it  to 
great  heat  lest  it  should  melt.  Nero  possessed  two  very 
beautiful  drinking  cups,  one  of  which  cost  him  a  sum 
equal  to  £ 600 ,  and  a  ladle  of  Rock  Crystal,  for  which  he 
paid  a  large  sum  of  money.  When  he  heard  of  the  loss  of 
his  kingdom,  he  is  said  to  have  broken  the  two  goblets,  in 
anger,  to  punish  the  age  in  which  he  lived,  and  jealous 
lest  anyone  should  thenceforward  drink  out  of  them. 

The  Empress  Livia  gave  to  the  Capitol  a  piece  of 
Crystal  weighing  5olbs.  ;  and  the  Roman  physicians  used 
Crystal  balls  as  lenses,  in  order  to  burn  out  sores.  Such 
balls  were  also  employed  for  kindling  sacrificial  fire — the 
sacred  Vestal  flame  being  produced  by  concentrating  the 


Rock  Crystal. 


295 


solar  beam  in  the  focus  of  a  Crystal  lens.  Spheres  of 
Rock  Crystal  were  at  one  time  carried  in  the  hand,  by  the 
ladies  of  ancient  Rome,  for  sake  of  their  refreshing  cool¬ 
ness — the  crystal  being  a  good  conductor  of  heat,  and  thus 
readily  robbing  the  hand  of  its  caloric.  In  the  kingdom 
of  Greece  the  pure-water  Crystal  was  rarer  than  the  tinted  ; 
and,  probably,  was  first  made  use  of  under  the  Roman 
Emperors. 

We  find  mentioned,  an  engraving  on  Rock  Crystal  of 
the  contest  between  Hercules  and  Antaeus  ;  and  a  repre¬ 
sentation  of  Arsinoe  on  another  crystal. 

Rock  Crystal  is  used  for  rings,  pins,  ear-rings,  seals, 
caskets,  gems,  and  other  Bijouterie.  It  is  also  used  for 
Cameos,  Intaglios,  lenses,  and  spectacles.  For  personal 
ornament,  the  clear,  perfect,  small  crystals  are  used,  or  the 
angles  of  the  larger  ones. 

As  a  rule,  Rock  Crystal  receives  the  form  of  the 
Brilliant,  Rosette,  or  Table-cut ;  the  exception  being  the 
Rainbow  Quartz,  the  Hair  and  the  Needle  Stone,  which 
are  cut  en  cabochon.  To  cut  or  engrave  on  Rock  Crystal, 
a  Diamond  point  is  used. 

It  is  said  that  one  of  the  finest  works  in  Rock 
Crystal  in  existence  is  an  urn,  9^  inches  in  diameter, 
9  inches  high,  and  this,  together  with  the  foot  or  pedestal 
on  which  it  stands,  is  formed  of  one  piece,  On  the  upper 
part  is  a  representation  of  Noah  asleep,  his  children  holding 
a  covering,  and  a  woman  with  a  basket  of  fruit  in  her 
hand.  This  urn  forms  part  of  the  French  National  jewels, 
and  cost  £4,000. 

The  cups  of  Rock  Crystal  in  the  Vatican,  and  similar 
articles  of  domestic  luxury  in  private  hands,  still  retain  a 
high  value,  although  the  large  supply  of  the  raw  material 
itself,  from  Madagascar  and  Brazil  has  greatly  reduced  its 
rarity,  and  therefore  its  price. 


296 


Rock  Crystal. 


Rock  Crystal. 

Composition — Oxygen  ...  ...  53-3 

Silicon  ...  •••  467 

100  o 


Specific  Gravity  ...  .  2'^5 

Hardness  ...  •••  •••  7 

Crystalline  System . Rhombohedral 

Forms  Various  six-sided  prisms  terminating  in 
pyramids. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

SPHENE. 


PHENE  is  a  mineral  which  has  occasionally 
been  cut  as  an  ornamental  stone,  but  is 
almost  unknown  to  jewellers.  Its  appear¬ 
ance  is  somewhat  between  that  of  Opal  and 
Chrysolite.  In  color  it  varies  from  pale  yellow  to  green  ; 
and  it  exhibits  all  degrees  of  transparency,  some  varieties 
being,  however,  opaque.  Only  the  most  transparent  and 
clear  specimens  have  the  least  claim  to  be  classed  as 
gem-stones  ;  and  although  it  has  a  pleasing  lustre  varying 
from  resinous  to  adamantine,  its  softness  is  against  its 
ever  being  extensively  used.  It  occurs  chiefly  as  dissemi¬ 
nated  crystals  in  granite,  gneiss,  mica-slate,  syenite,  and 
granular  limestone,  and  is  sometimes  found  in  volcanic 
rocks.  The  crystals  are  usually  small.  Among  its  many 
localities  mention  may  be  made  of  Arendal,  in  Norway, 
of  St.  Gothard  and  Mont  Blanc,  and  many  parts  of  North 
America.  Sphene  is  also  known  as  Titanite, 


29S 


Sphcne. 


Sphene. 

Composition: — Titanic  oxide  ...  41 

Silica  ...  ...  ...  31 

Lime  ...  ...  27 

Iron  oxide  ...  ...  I 


Specific  Gravity 
Hardness 
Crystalline  System 
Form 


100. 


.  3'5 

5  to  5-5 

...  Monoclinic. 
Wedge-shaped  crystals. 


j 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

SPODUMENE. 


is  only  of  late  that  this  mineral  has  been  cut 
as  a  gem-stone,  and  consequently  it  was  un¬ 
noticed  in  previous  editions.  A  quantity  of 
clear  yellow  Spodumene  having  been  re¬ 
cently  imported  from  Brazil,  many  enquiries  for  information 
have  reached  us,  and  in  response  to  these  solicitations  we 
have  thought  it  advisable  to  introduce  a  description  of  the 
mineral.  It  can  claim,  however,  scarcely  any  importance 
as  a  gem -stone,  it  being  very  little  known  and  still  less 
used. 

In  color  and  appearance  the  clear  Spodumene  is  not 
unlike  Chrysoberyl.  Its  colors  vary  from  greyish  to 
greenish  yellow  ;  some  varieties  are  opaque  and  others 
transparent.  It  has  a  waxy  appearance.  Although  sus¬ 
ceptible  of  a  high  polish — its  hardness  being  about  equal 
to  that  of  Cinnamon  Stone — it  is  a  very  difficult  material 
to  work,  partly  because  it  is  much  harder  in  one  direction 
than  another,  and  partly  on  account  of  its  remarkably 
easy  cleavage,  which  renders  it  liable  to  split  :  this  makes 
it  so  difficult  of  manipulation  that  perhaps  not  more  than 
one  stone  in  four  is  ever  finished  by  the  lapidary. 


300 


Spodiimcrte. 


Spodumene  of  amethystine  color  is  found  at  Branch- 
ville,  Connecticut  ;  and  coarser  forms  of  the  mineral  occur 
in  a  white  highly  crystalline  granite  at  Goshen,  Chesterfield, 
Norwich,  and  Stirling,  Massachusetts;  at  Windham,  Maine; 
and  at  Brookfield,  Connecticut.  Spodumene  is  also  occa¬ 
sionally  found  at  Uto,  in  Sweden  ;  at  Sterzing  and  Brixen, 
in  the  Tyrol ;  and  at  Kilkenny  Bay,  near  Dublin.  But  the 
transparent  variety,  which  alone  has  been  cut  as  an  orna¬ 
mental  stone,  is  confined  to  Brazil. 

The  mineral  previously  described  as  Hiddenite,  or 
“  Lithia  Emerald,”  is  only  a  variety  of  Spodumene. 


Spodumene. 


Composition — Silica... 

64-5 

Aluminna 

29-0 

Lithia 

5'5 

Iron  oxide  and  soda.. 

ro 

IOO'O 

Specific  Gravity 

3 

Hardness 

7 

Crystalline  System  ... 

Monoclinic. 

Form  ...  Usually  in  fragments,  exhibiting  two 

parallel  cleavages  planes. 

TURQUOISE 


TOPAZ 


OPAL 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

TOPAZ. 


T  is  believed  by  the  highest  authorities  that 
the  true  Topaz  was  unknown  to  the  Ancients. 
The  name,  however,  is  derived  from  the 
Greek  Topdzios — a  word  which  appears  to 
have  been  applied  to  the  Chrysolite  or  Peridot.  This  was 
probably  the  ancient  classic  gem,  called  in  Hebrew  Pittdoh 
by  Professor  Aaron  Pick,  and  Pitdah  by  Genesius  (accord¬ 
ing  to  the  Massoreth),  the  latter  of  whom  imagines  that  it 
is  derived  from  the  Sanscrit  pita  (pale),  and  that  the  Greek 
Topdzios  is  a  transposition  from  Pitdoh  to  Tipdoh.  The 
ancient  mineralogists  described  this  as  a  pale  yellowish  or 
greenish  gem  found  in  an  island  of  the  Red  Sea.  Boetius 
says  it  is  of  “  diluted  green  color  with  yellowness  added 
to  it.”  Among  the  virtues  then  attributed  to  it  we  read 
that  “the  Topaz  calms  anacreontic  temperaments.”  In 
all  these  cases  the  writers  appear  to  have  had  in  mind  the 
stone  known  to  us  as  Chrysolite  rather  than  our  true 
Topaz. 

Under  the  general  name  of  Topaz  modern  minera¬ 
logists  include  three  distinct  stones— (i)  the  true  Topaz  j 


302 


Topaz. 


(2)  the  Yellow  Sapphire,  or  Oriental  Topaz ;  and  (3)  the 
Occidental  or  False  Topaz.  The  second  is  a  yellow  variety 
of  Corundum,  and  the  third  is  nothing  but  a  variety  of 
Scotch  quartz. 

The  true  Topaz  presents  a  variety  of  colors,  from 
clear  white,  when  it  has  been  occasionally  palmed  off  as 
a  Diamond,  ranging  through  all  shades  of  light  blue  and 
light  green  to  rose  pink,  orange,  and  straw  yellow.  A 
pink  color  is  frequently  obtained  by  subjecting  the  sherry- 
colored  Topazes  to  a  moderate  temperature.  The  insta¬ 
bility  of  color  in  certain  Topazes  is  attested  by  the 
bleaching  which  they  suffer  on  exposure  to  sunlight. 

Crystals  of  Topaz  are  remarkable  for  their  pyro¬ 
electricity — in  other  words,  they  become  electric  on  expo¬ 
sure  to  heat. 

Tavernier,  in  1665,  saw  a  Topaz  in  the  treasury 
of  Aurungzeb,  in  Hindoostan,  weighing  157  carats  which 
that  monarch  had  purchased  for  a  sum  corresponding  to 
£18,000  of  our  money. 

The  Topazes  found  in  the  river  beds  at  Capao,  in 
Brazil,  secured  in  twelve  years  a  net  profit  of  £3,000.  In 
the  Ural,  north  of  Ekaterinburg,  it  is  found  in  granite. 
In  St.  Petersburg  is  a  fine  crystal,  4§  inches  long  and 
4^  wide,  weighing  31  lbs.  In  the  east  of  Siberia  it  is 
found  in  blue  crystals,  in  company  with  Beryl,  Rock 
Crystal,  and  Felspar.  A  remarkably  fine  collection  of 
Siberian  Topazes,  made  by  Prof.  Kokscharow,  of  St. 
Petersburg,  may  be  seen  in  the  Mineralogical  Gallery  of 
the  British  Museum  (South  Kensington),  where  the  finest 
crystals  are  carefully  protected  by  opaque  caps  to  shield 
them  from  sunlight,  by  which  they  might  suffer  loss  of 
color. 

In  Australia  the  green  and  yellow  crystals  of 
Topaz  are  found  ;  in  Saxony  the  white,  yellow,  and 


Topaz. 


303 


the  pale  violet  ;  and  in  Bohemia  the  sea-green  variety. 
The  Saxon  Topazes  are  obtained  chiefly  from  the 
well-known  Topaz-rock  of  the  Schneckenstein.  In 
Brazil,  red  specimens,  graduating  from  a  pale  to  a 
deep  carmine  tint,  have  been  discovered  ;  but  most  of 
the  Brazilian  Topazes  are  of  a  rich  wine-yellow  color. 
The  clear  and  colorless  Topazes  of  Brazil  are  frequently 
known  as  Novas  Minas.  The  blue  Topaz  from  Brazil 
resembles  Aquamarine,  but  is  distinguished  by  its  superior 
hardness  and  higher  specific  gravity. 

The  Topaz  is  one  of  the  few  Precious  Stones  found 
in  the  British  Isles.  It  occurs  chiefly  in  St.  Michael’s 
Mount,  Cornwall ;  in  the  Mourne  Mountains,  Co.  Down  ; 
and  in  several  Scotch  districts.  Very  fine  White  Topaz 
is  found  in  Flinders’  Island,  in  Bass’s  Strait.  It  is  common 
in  most  parts  of  the  New  England  district,  New  South 
Wales,  where  it  occurs  as  pebbles  in  the  river  gravels.  In 
the  United  States  the  chief  localities  for  Topaz  are  in 
Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  Colorado.  Fine  blue  crystals 
have  been  recently  discovered  at  the  famous  mineral 
locality  of  Pike’s  Peak,  Colorado,  and  the  species  has  also 
been  lately  found  at  Stoneham,  in  Maine. 

In  some  places  in  India,  the  Topaz  being  rare,  is  a 
far  more  expensive  stone  than 'in  England. 

Several  engraved  Topazes  are  known  :  that  in  the 
Bibliotheque  Royale,  in  Paris,  is  set  as  a  signet  ring,  having 
the  portraits  of  Philip  II.  and  Don  Carlos  deeply  cut  in 
it.  There  is  also  a  citron-yellow  Topaz,  representing  an 
Indian  Bacchus. 

The  antique  Topaz  in  St.  Petersburg,  engraved  with 
the  representation  of  Sirius,  is  of  excellent  workmanship. 
A  celebrated  Arabian  Amulet  composed  of  Topaz,  having 
the  words  “From  God  alone  is  success,”  in  Arabic,  bored 
through  it,  is  now  the  property  of  a  Parisian  jeweller. 


304 


Topaz. 


A  fine  stone,  known  as  the  “  Maxwell  Stuart  ”  Topaz, 
weighs  368  carats. 

The  Goutte d' Ran,  which  is  capable  of  exquisite  polish, 
is  a  colorless  Topaz.  If  cut  as  a  Brilliant,  with  a  small 
table,  the  pure  gem  forms  a  beautiful  ornament ;  and  some 
specimens  found,  both  in  New  South  Wales  and  in  Brazil, 
are  worthy  of  careful  cutting,  polishing,  and  setting. 

The  chemical  composition  of  the  Topaz,  in  addition 
to  its  obvious  characteristics,  confirms  its  title  to  a  high 
rank  among  gems. 


Topaz. 

Chemical  Composition  : — 


Alumina 

Silicon 

Oxygen 

Fluorine 


30-2 

I5'5 

3O8 

17-5 


100.0 


Specific  Gravity 
Hardness 

Crystalline  System  . . 
Form  ...  Prism 


Prisms,  terminating  with  pyramids  ; 
the  two  ends  usually  dissimilar  ;  with 
strongly-  marked  basal  cleavage. 


Rhombic. 


3'5 

8 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

TOURMALINE. 


OMEWHAT  more  than  a  century  ago,  the 
Dutch  introduced  Tourmaline  into  Europe, 
from  Ceylon.  The  first  written  history  of  the 
stone  is  found  in  a  book  published  in  Leipzig, 
in  1707,  called  “  Curious  Speculations  of  Sleepless  Nights'.'1 
It  is  mentioned  also  in  the  catalogue  of  a  collection  of 
stones  sent  over  from  Ceylon  to  Leyden  in  1711.  For 
many  years  small  quantities  only  of  this  stone  were  sent 
to  Europe,  and  the  German  Jews  were  almost  its  only 
purchasers. 

Few  minerals  present  greater  complexity  of  chemical 
constitution  than  the  Tourmaline.  Its  composition  has 
been  said  to  resemble  the  prescription  of  a  mediaeval 
doctor,  in  which  a  little  of  everything  was  thrown  in  ;  and 
a  reference  to  the  analysis  appended  to  this  chapter  will 
illustrate  this  intricacy  of  constitution.  To  the  student  of 
physics,  the  Tourmaline  is  a  stone  of  singular  interest, 
from  the  curious  optical  and  electrical  characters  which  it 
exhibits.  It  enjoys,  in  its  different  varieties,  a  very  wide 
range  of  color,  though  it  rarely  displays  any  vivid  or 

U 


3  °6 


Tourmaline. 


brilliant  hue ;  hence  it  has  become  a  great  favorite  with 
connoisseurs,  who  can  appreciate  its  soft  and  sombre  tones, 
but  has  not  acquired  general  popularity.  Its  colors  con¬ 
sist  of  various  shades  of  grey,  yellow,  green,  blue,  pink, 
and  brown  ;  all  having  a  tendency  towards  the  darker 
hues,  even  to  black. 

The  Tourmaline  passes  under  a  variety  of  mineralo- 
gical  names,  according  to  the  color  which  it  presents. 
The  red  varieties  are  known  as  Rubellite ,  the  blue  as 
Indicolite ,  and  the  clear  and  colorless  crystals  as  Achroite; 
while  the  common  black  Tourmaline  is  still  distinguished 
by  the  old  German  name  of  Schorl. 

It  often  happens  that  the  color  is  not  constant  through¬ 
out  the  stone,  so  that  one  part  maybe  green,  while  another 
portion  of  the  same  crystal  may  be  decidedly  pink.  These 
parti-colored  specimens  come  chiefly  from  Elba.  An 
American  variety  is  notable  for  presenting  a  central  kernel 
of  red  color,  surrounded  by  a  zone  of  lively  green,  and  as 
such  crystals  are  usually  three-sided  prisms,  they  offer, 
when  cut  across,  a  triangular  or  heart-shaped  section,  with 
the  pleasing  effect  of  a  red  centre  fringed  by  a  green 
border. 

Tourmaline  possesses  double  refraction,  and  polarizes 
light  perfectly.  Hence  it  is  used  by  opticians  in  the  con¬ 
struction  of  polariscopes.  Its  dichroism  is  very  pro¬ 
nounced,  and  may  be  often  recognized  without  the  aid  of 
an  instrument. 

Tourmaline,  in  common  with  many  other  Precious 
Stones,  developes  electricity  under  friction.  Many  Tour¬ 
malines  also  acquire  electric  properties  when  heated — one 
end  of  the  crystal  becoming  positive  and  the  other  nega¬ 
tive.  This  phenomenon  is  known  as  Pyro-electricity.  It 
is  connected  with  the  curious  form  of  most  of  the  crystals, 
their  two  extremities  exhibiting  different  faces.  This 


Tourmaline. 


30  7 


peculiarity  of  shape  is  termed  hemimorphism ,  since  half  of 
the  crystal  presents  one  form,  and  half  another.  When 
the  temperature  of  a  hemimorphic  crystal  is  either  raised 
or  lowered,  its  electric  equilibrium  is  disturbed,  and 
polarity  developed  ;  so  that  the  condition  of  the  crystal 
may  then  be  compared  with  that  of  a  magnet. 

Tourmaline  is  found  in  Siberia,  Ceylon,  the  Urals, 
Saxony,  and  the  Isle  of  Elba.  In  the  United  States,  it 
has  been  discovered  in  great  perfection  and  abundance, 
especially  at  Mount  Mica,  Paris,  Maine.  Siberian  Tour¬ 
maline  is  of  carmine,  hyacinth,  purple,  or  rose-red,  running 
into  violet-blue.  When  polished  its  lustre  somewhat  re¬ 
sembles  that  of  the  Oriental  Ruby.  The  Green  Tourma¬ 
line  generally  occurs  of  an  olive  or  darker  green  color, 
and  takes  a  perfect  polish.  Crystals  of  great  beauty  are 
found  in  Minas-Geraes.  The  Yellowish-Green  Tourma¬ 
line,  “  Ceylon  Chrysolite,”  is  very  like  an  Aquamarine,  and 
is  found  in  the  river  beds  of  Ceylon  and  Brazil.  Colorless 
Tourmaline  occurs  very  seldom  in  pieces  worth  the  cost  of 
cutting  and  polishing.  The  most  beautiful  specimens  are 
found  in  Elba.  Brown  and  Black  Tourmaline  are  varieties 
not  used  for  purposes  of  ornament.  Black  Tourmaline  is, 
by  no  means  uncommon  in  this  country,  especially  in  the 
tin-bearing  districts  of  Cornwall. 

The  value  of  Tourmaline  depends  upon  the  color, 
quality,  and  size  of  the  specimens  ;  one  of  exceptional 
color  and  purity,  of  five  carats  weight,  would  be  worth 
about  £  20. 

A  magnificent  specimen  of  Rubellite,  or  Red  Tour¬ 
maline,  is  exhibited  in  the  Mineralogical  Gallery  of  the 
British  Museum  (South  Kensington).  This  unique  group 
of  crystals  was  presented  by  the  King  of  Ava  to  Colonel 
Symes,  when  on  an  embassy  to  that  country,  and  has 
been  valued  at  £  1000. 


3°8 


Tourmaline , 


Compositio7i- 


Tourmaline. 

-Very  complicated  and  varied.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  Rammelsberg,  a  green 
Brazilian  stone  gave — 


Hardness 
Crystalline  System 


Silica 

33-55 

Alumina 

38-40 

Boron  trioxide 

7'2I 

Ferric  oxide 

5-i3 

Ferrous  oxide 

2‘00 

Soda... 

2-37 

Fluorine 

2-09 

Lithia 

T20 

Lime 

II4 

Manganic  oxide 

o-8i 

Magnesia  ... 

073 

Potash 

°'37 

IOO’O 

ity 

3'o  to  3-15 

. 

T  5 

Rhombohedral. 


Form...  ...  Usually  in  prisms  striated  vertically, 
and  differently  terminated  at  opposite  ends. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

ZIRCON,  JARGOON,  OR  HYACINTH. 


HE  Zircon,  Jargoon,  and  Hyacinth  are  all 
varieties  of  the  same  stone.  The  term 
Hyacinth  or  Jacinth  is  applied  to  trans¬ 
parent  and  bright-colored  varieties  ;  Jargoon 
to  crystals  dull  of  color,  and  of  a  smoky  tinge,  which  were 
occasionally  sold  as  inferior  Diamonds.  Anselmus  Boetius 
gives  the  following  description  of  this  gem.  (ist)  “  There 
are  some  that  flame  like  fire,  or  are  similar  in  color  to 
crimson  or  to  natural  vermilion  ;  these  the  French  jewel¬ 
lers  call  ‘  Jacinthe  la  belle,’  and  esteem  them  the  best. 
(2nd),  Those  with  a  yellow-red  color.  (3rd)  Others  which 
are  like  unto  Amber,  so  that  they  can  hardly  be  dis¬ 
tinguished  from  it  but  by  their  hardness.  These  are  of 
no  great  value,  by  reason  of  the  atoms  they  contain,  and 
the  multiplicity  of  small  bodies  which  are  in  them,  which 
do  hinder  their  transparency  and  translucency.’’  “  One 
of  these,”  Cardanus  says,  “he  was  wont  to  wear  about 
him,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  sleep,  to  which  purpose 
it  did  seem  somewhat  to  conduce,”  (4th)  “  There  is  a 
fourth  kind  which  has  no  redness  at  all  in  it,  being  like 
white  pellucid  Amber,  and  such  are  of  least  value.” 


3io 


Zircon ,  Jargoon,  or  Hyacinth. 


The  Lyncurion  or  “  Lynx-stone”  of  the  Ancients  was 
probably  in  most  cases  the  Hyacinth,  while  their  Hyacin- 
thus  may  have  been  our  Amethyst  It  seems  certain  that 
when  Theophrastus  mentions  the  Lyncurion ,  he  refers  to 
an  amber-colored  Zircon. 

The  Zircon  is  a  very  lovely  stone,  and  when  fine,  may 
be  taken  for  a  Spinel  Ruby.  Its  colors  are  very  varied, 
the  reds  and  browns  of  the  hyacinthine  varieties  being 
especially  noteworthy;  while  some  of  the  finest  Jargoons 
present  yellow,  green,  and  blue  tints,  not  unlike  those  of 
the  Tourmaline,  but  with  much  more  fire  and  lustre. 
Some  specimens  when  submitted  to  great  heat,  increase 
in  lustre,  but  at  the  same  time  lose  color.  In  company 
with  borax,  it  fuses  into  a  transparent  glass. 

The  Zircon  is  distinguished,  when  in  its  natural  form, 
by  its  quadrilateral  crystals,  terminating  at  both  ends  in  a 
pyramid.  It  is  of  adamantine  lustre,  transparent  to  sub- 
translucent.  The  fracture  is  conchoidal.  It  scratches 
Quartz,  but  is  itself  scratched  by  the  Topaz. 

In  former  times  this  gem  was  more  highly  valued 
than  at  present.  In  order  to  cut  the  stone  for  ornaments, 
such  as  rings,  pins,  and  ear-rings,  it  is  ground  on  a  leaden 
plate  with  Emery  powder,  and  polished  on  a  copper  plate 
with  powdered  rotten-stone.  The  forms  given  to  the  Zir¬ 
con  are  generally  the  Rose,  the  Table,  and  the  Brilliant. 

Inferior  Zircons  require  peculiar  setting  to  shew  them 
to  advantage  ;  but  a  perfect  one  requires  no  aid,  it  is 
beautiful  in  itself,  as  well  as  valuable.  There  is  a  splendid 
specimen  of  a  very  ancient  engraving  on  a  Zircon  in  the 
Paris  Museum,  the  workmanship  of  which  is  exquisite  ;  it 
is  about  2  inches  in  length,  and  i £  in  width,  and  represents 
Moses  with  the  two  tables  of  the  law.  Lord  Duncannon 
had  in  his  collection  a  Zircon  with  an  engraving  on  it 
representing  an  athlete, 


Zircon^  Jargoon ,  or  Hyacinth.  31 1 

Perhaps  the  finest  specimen  of  the  hyacinthine  variety 
is  a  Cameo,  representing  the  head  of  an  angel,  by  Raphael, 
which  was  set  in  a  ring  and  worn  by  Gregory  XIII.,  and 
engraved  with  his  name.  At  the  back  of  the  Cameo  the 
name  of  Pius  VII.  appears. 

In  the  author’s  private  collection  is  a  Green  Zircon, 
round  in  shape,  weighing  4^  carats  :  in  lustre  it  resembles  a 
Brilliant,  whilst  its  color  surpasses  that  of  the  Emerald. 

Colorless  Zircons  are  occasionally  sold  as  Diamonds. 
The  more  brilliant  specimens,  which  receive  the  name  of 
Hyacinth,  rarely  attain  a  large  size.  The  finest  Hyacinths 
have  been  obtained  from  Mudgee,  in  New  South  Wales, 
while  of  other  varieties  Ceylon  yields  the  best  examples. 
The  stones  which  often  pass  as  Hyacinths  or  Jacinths,  are 
nothing  more  than  hyacinth-colored  Garnets,  or  “Cinna¬ 
mon  Stone  the  mineral  known  to  mineralogists  as 
Essonite.  The  difference  between  the  Essonite  and  the 
Zircon  is  immediately  apparent  by  an  appeal  to  the 
balance — the  specific  gravity  of  the  former  being  about 
3 ‘6,  while  that  of  the  latter  is  as  high  as  4-6  or  47. 

Although  the  localities  which  yield  Zircons  fit  for 
working  into  ornamental  stones  are  but  few,  it  should  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  coarser  forms  of  Zircon  are  present 
in  a  great  variety  of  rocks,  such  as  the  Zircon-syenite  of 
Norway  and  Siberia ;  but  as  these  forms  are  of  interest 
only  to  the  mineralogist,  it  is  needless  to  enumerate  the 
long  list  of  localities  in  which  they  occur. 

Nicols,  writing  225  years  ago  of  the  Zircon,  says,— 
“  They  are  found  in  Ethiopia,  India,  and  Arabia.  The 
Arabs  distinguish  three  kinds — 1,  Rubri  Coloris  :  2,  Citrini 
Coloris  :  3,  Antimonii  Coloris.  Of  these  the  worst  is 
found  in  the  river  Iser,  which  is  upon  the  confines  of 
Silesia  and  Bohemia.  The  best  and  most  excellent  ones 
are  brought  from  Cananor,  Calicut,  and  Gambia.” 


312 


Zircon ,  Jar  go  on,  or  Hyacinth. 


Klaproth  in  1789  discovered  in  the  Zircon  an  earthy 
basis,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Zirconia.  It  is  the 
oxide  of  a  peculiar  metal  called  Zirconium,  of  which  the 
gem  itself  is  a  silicate.  The  word  Zircon  is  of  Arabic 
origin. 

Zircon,  Jargoon  or  Hyacinth. 

Chemical  Composition — Silica  ...  34 

Zirconia  ...  66 

100. 

As  the  Specific  Gravity  varies  greatly  in  Zircons  of 
different  colors,  the  following  list  is  given  on  the  authority 


of  Professor  Church  : 

Red  . 

...  4-863 

Cinnamon 

...  4756 

Columbine  Red 

...  4705 

Brown  ... 

4-696 

Green  ... 

...  4-691 

Red-brown 

...  4-651 

Brownish-yellow 

...  4-620 

Yellow... 

...  4-600 

Orange... 

...  4-362 

Dull  green 

...  4-020 

Hardness 

.  T  5 

Crystalline  System 

Tetragonal 

Form  Tetragonal  prism  with  pyramidal  termina¬ 
tion  :  often  as  rolled  pebbles. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

CORAL. 


ORAL  has,  strictly  speaking,  no  claim  to  a 
place  in  the  family  of  Precious  Stones. 
Notwithstanding  its  resemblance  to  a  mineral 
substance,  it  is  a  product  of  the  Animal 
Kingdom— a  hard  calcareous  substance,  which  is  formed 
by  certain  marine  creatures  of  simple  structure,  much  in 
the  same  way  that  bone  is  formed  by  the  higher  animals. 
The  Coral  is,  in  fact,  the  solid  internal  framework  of  cer¬ 
tain  organisms  known  commonly  as  polypes.  The  par¬ 
ticular  polyp  which  yields  most  of  the  precious  Coral  of 
commerce  has  been  christened  by  naturalists  the  Corallium 
rubrum. 

The  calcareous  axis  of  this  polyp  is  distinguished  by 
its  size,  hardness,  and  capability  of  polish,  as  well  as  by 
its  beautiful  red  color.  Its  form  resembles  that  of  a  small 
tree  with  leafless  branches,  the  stem  of  which,  in  rare  cases, 
is  as  thick  as  a  man’s  body,  but  generally  about  a  foot 
high,  and  an  inch  thick.  It  has  a  sort  of  leathery  cover¬ 
ing,  studded  with  cells  in  which  the  polypes  reside.  In 
the  soft  rind  which  surrounds  the  axis  there  are  small 
calcareous  needles,  and  outside  these  the  nets  of  the 
common  canals.  A  large  number  of  little  white  star-like 


314 


Coral. 


polypes  are  associated  in  a  single  structure,  the  red  coral 
forming  the  common  branching  axis  which  supports  and 
unites  the  entire  colony. 

The  polypes  consist  of  a  soft  gelatinous  substance. 
When  they  are  undisturbed  in  their  cells,  it  may  be  dis¬ 
tinctly  seen,  by  means  of  a  microscope,  that  each  possesses 
eight  soft,  three-cornered,  leafy  feelers,  or  tentacles,  which 
are  notched  on  each  side,  and  situated  in  a  simple  circle 
around  the  mouth,  by  means  of  which  they  catch  their 
food,  and  convey  it  to  this  aperture.  If  one  of  these 
feelers  be  touched  ever  so  slightly,  this  act  is  sympatheti¬ 
cally  conveyed  to  each  creature  in  the  Coral  hive.  There 
seems  to  be  among  naturalists  a  conviction  that  the  Coral 
polypes  possess  a  common  feeling,  which  by  some  wonder¬ 
ful  organization  vibrates  through  the  whole  root  or  axis  of 
the  Coral.  Although  the  polypes  show  such  a  remark¬ 
able  sensitiveness,  it  has  never  been  discovered  that  they 
possess  nerves  or  organs  of  sense.  Their  digestive  organs 
are  of  the  simplest  structure.  In  the  polypes  of  the  pre¬ 
cious  Coral  the  food  passes  directly  from  the  mouth  to 
the  stomach,  or  digestive  sac,  which  communicates  below 
with  the  general  cavity  of  the  body.  The  nutrient  fluids 
resulting  from  digestion  pass  into  this  cavity,  and  are  thence 
conveyed  to  the  whole  mass  of  the  polypes,  which  are  in 
communication  with  each  other.  The  nourishment  of  the 
polypes  is  derived  from  tiny  animals  or  from  particles  of 
plants  found  in  the  water.  They  have  a  great  dislike  to 
the  light,  and  to  a  disturbance  of  the  water,  either  one  or 
other  of  which  will  drive  them  suddenly  back  to  their  cells. 

The  home  of  the  Precious  Coral  is  in  the  warm  waters 
of  the  Mediterranean,  near  Marseilles,  on  the  coasts  of 
“  La  Loose,”  Sardinia,  Corsica,  the  Balearic  Isles,  Tunis, 
and  La  Calle.  The  Regency  of  Algeria  may  be  called 
the  chief  rendezvous  of  the  vessels  engaged  in  this  fishery, 


Coral. 


315 


Coral  is  also  found  in  the  Red  Sea,  in  the  Persian 
Gulf,  on  the  shores  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  in  the  Pacific. 

Coral  fishing  is  quite  as  fruitful  a  source  of  tradition 
and  fairy  tales  among  the  fishermen  of  the  Mediterranean, 
as  the  buried  treasures  in  the  hearts  of  the  mountains  are 
to  the  German  miners. 

The  Coral  fishery  is  carried  on  with  much  zeal  and 
energy  in  many  places,  but  especially  on  the  coasts  of 
Tunis,  Algeria,  Corsica,  the  Red  Sea,  the  Persian  Gulf,  and 
Sicily.  On  the  African  coast,  which  for  centuries  has  been 
most  celebrated  for  its  Coral,  is  the  sea-port  of  La  Calle, 
or  Kalak,  where  the  trade  is  most  successfully  prosecuted. 
Although  the  fishery  has  for  years  been  worked  by  Corsi¬ 
cans,  yet  this  particular  industry  has  been  taken  up  by 
French  energy.  In  the  year  1450  France  had  an  estab¬ 
lishment  there  whose  occupation  was,  above  all  things,  the 
Coral  fishery.  It  was  conducted  by  a  company  who 
enjoyed  the  privilege  of  working  it,  provided  they  employed 
Provencals  only. 

In  the  year  1791  the  fishery  became  free  for  all  French¬ 
men  who  traded  with  the  Levant  and  states  of  Africa. 
Three  years  afterwards  a  change  in  the  arrangements 
took  place.  In  1802  England  took  possession  of  La  Calle, 
and  restored  it  in  1816.  During  this  time  the  fishery 
was  carried  on  vigorously,  not  fewer  than  400  boats  being 
devoted  to  this  industry.  In  1830  new  arrangements  were 
made,  by  which  the  Italians  had  to  pay  a  duty  for  it,  the 
French  being  exempted.  Still  the  Italian  vessels  pre¬ 
dominated. 

Each  Coral  boat  carries  twelve  or  thirteen  sailors. 
The  fishery  begins  in  March  and  ends  in  October.  The 
following  is  the  usual  method  of  fishing  : — Two  iron  rods 
about  seven  feet  long,  and  having  four  prongs,  are  bound 
crosswise  together,  and  wrapped  up  in  hemp  about 


Coral. 


316 

half-an-inch  thick,  and  bound  to  this  is  a  net-work  bag. 
In  the  middle  of  the  rods  a  weight  of  lead  is  fastened. 
This  apparatus  is  let  down  by  means  of  a  cable,  and 
when  drawn  up  again  it  catches  the  projecting  Coral  in  the 
hemp,  which  is  gently  brought  to  the  surface.  Very  clever 
and  experienced  divers  will  themselves  bring  up  a  strong 
branch  of  it.  The  Coral  is  next  cut  in  specified  lengths, 
and  separated  according  to  thickness,  size,  and  beauty,  and 
then,  with  or  without  polishing,  sold. 

Coral  is  bored  by  steel  needles,  and  in  Italy  this  is  done 
by  hand  ;  but  in  Leipzig,  Karl  Hoffmann  has  invented  a 
machine  for  boring,  and  has  thereby  rendered  the  process 
more  expeditious.  The  working  of  Coral  is  principally 
carried  on  in  Marseilles,  Genoa,  and  Leghorn  In  the  last- 
named  city  as  many  as  300  work-people  are  employed.  Most 
of  the  Red  Coral  goes  to  India,  China,  and  Japan.  In  India 
the  dark-red  variety  has  always  been  valued.  Every 
Oriental  strives  to  get  a  string  of  Corals  for  his  turban,  or 
at  least  sufficient  to  decorate  the  handle  of  his  sword. 
They  think  that  to  leave  their  dead  without  ornaments  of 
Coral,  is  to  give  them  over  to  the  hands  of  mighty  enemies. 
There  is  scarcely  an  Indian  to  be  found  without  at  least 
one  or  two  rows  on  one  of  his  arms  ;  those  who  can  afford 
it  have  them  on  both  arms ;  the  richer  Indians  wear  Red 
Coral  on  head,  throat,  and  legs. 

The  Brahmins  and  Fakirs  use  Coral  beads  for  rosaries 
to  assist  them  in  counting  their  prayers.  The  Chinese 
mix  the  Red  Coral  with  Jade  beads,  and  wear  them  as 
ornaments  for  the  neck  and  head. 

The  use  of  Coral  in  Europe,  if  we  except  England 
and  Russia,  is  not  large.  The  greater  the  size  of  the 
Coral  and  the  paler  its  color  the  more  valuable  it  is  in  this 
country.  At  the  commencement  of  this  century,  however, 
Coral  of  a  beautiful  red  color  set  in  gold  or  silver,  was 


Coral. 


3 17 


fashionable  for  earrings,  bracelets,  and  necklaces  ;  and  for 
baby  rattles,  in  the  nursery  of  the  middle  and  upper  classes. 

In  commerce  a  variety  of  Corals  are  in  demand, 
and  are  distinguished  according  to  their  color.  There  is, 
for  example,  the  “  Coral  rouge  of  Lamarck  ’’  and  the 
“  Ecume  de  Sang,”  which  is  again  sub-divided.  Black 
Coral  is  but  the  stem  of  the  Antipathes ,  a  genus  nearly 
allied  to  the  Gorgonia,  or  Sea-fan. 

The  coloring  principle  of  the  Coral  is  not  discharged 
by  chlorine  ;  it  is  insoluble  in  alcohol  or  other  organic 
liquids,  but  is  blackened  by  hydro-sulphuric  acid,  and  dis¬ 
solves  in  mineral  acids.  According  to  M.  Vogel  a  trace 
of  oxide  of  iron  is  found  in  the  coloring  matter  of  Coral. 

The  price  of  the  pale  and  sound  Coral  is  at  present 
from  £  io  to  £ ioo  per  ounce.  The  beautiful  Rose-colored 
variety  ranges  from  £  ioo  to  £200  per  ounce  ;  and  the  Red 
varies,  according  to  color,  from  £2  to  £20  per  ounce. 

Being  soft,  it  is  often  used  for  Cameos.  At  the  sale 
of  the  Empress  Eugenie’s  jewels,  by  Messrs.  Christie  and 
Manson,  in  1872,  a  very  fine  suite  of  carved  Coral  and  gold 
ornaments  realized  a  high  price  :  this  probably  may  be 
explained  by  its  having  belonged  to  so  distinguished  a 
person.  Fine  specimens  of  carved  Coral  are  not  at  all 
uncommon. 

Coral  was  formerly  in  great  repute  as  a  talisman 
against  enchantments,  witchcraft,  thunder,  tempests,  and 
other  perils.  It  was  consecrated  to  Jupiter  and  Phoebus. 

In  the  curious  Greek  poem  of  Orpheus,  the  virtues  of 
Coral  are  thus  recorded  ; — 

"The  Coral  too,  in  Perseus’  story  named, 

Against  the  scorpion  is  of  might  proclaimed  ; 

This  also  a  sure  remedy  shall  bring, 

For  murderous  asp,  and  blunt  his  fateful  sting. 

Above  all  gems  in  potency  ’tis  raised, 

By  bright-haired  Phoebus  and  its  value  praised." 


318 


Coral. 


It  is  said  that  Ferdinand  I.,  King  of  Naples,  was  a 
devout  believer  in  the  subtle  virtues  of  Coral,  and  carried 
with  him  a  coral  amulet,  which  he  invariably  pointed 
towards  any  person  whose  evil  influence  he  suspected. 

It  would  not  be  wise  to  say  that  Coral  either  has  lost, 
or  will  permanently  lose,  its  share  of  popularity.  It  was 
only  as  the  competitor  of  Wisdom  that  it  was  said,  “  No 
mention  shall  be  made  of  Coral,  or  of  Pearls,  for  the  price 
of  wisdom  is  above  Rubies.” 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

PEARLS. 


HOSE  readers  who  are  familiar  with  the 
earlier  editions  of  this  work,  will  no  doubt, 
be  surprised  to  find  that  the  information  on 
Pearls  has  been  omitted  in  the  present  issue. 
The  circumstances  which  have  led  to  its  suppression  have 
been  briefly  explained  in  the  Preface.  So  much  informa¬ 
tion  has  recently  reached  the  author  from  different  sources, 
but  especially  from  his  sons,  who  have  visited  the  Pearl 
fisheries  of  various  parts  of  the  world,  that  the  subject  has 
grown  to  a  magnitude  far  too  large  to  admit  of  satisfactory 
treatment  in  this  volume.  It  has  therefore  been  decided 
to  devote  a  separate-  treatise  to  this  interesting  subject, 
rather  than  to  attempt  to  deal  with  it  within  the  scanty 
limits  that  could  be  appropriated  to  it  in  the  present 
work. 


ADDENDA. 

THE  DIAMONDS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND 
NEW  ZEALAND. 


HILE  the  sheets  of  this  work  have  been 
passing  through  the  press,  a  valuable  volume 
on  the  “Mineral  Resources  of  the  United 
States,”  prepared  by  Mr.  Albert  Williams, 
Jun.,  has  been  officially  issued  by  the  Department  of  the 
Interior,  at  Washington.  To  this  volume,  an  interesting 
section,  treating  of  American  Gems  and  Precious  Stones 
has  been  contributed  by  Mr.  G.  F.  Kunz.  Some  of  the 
local  information  contained  therein  has  been  used  in  the 
preceding  pages,  but  as  our  earlier  chapters  had  been 
printed  off  before  its  publication,  it  was  impossible  to  refer 
to  it  when  treating  of  the  Diamond.  Hence  it  is  con¬ 
sidered  desirable  to  add  here  a  short  account  of  the 
occurrence  of  Diamonds  in  the  United  States. 

Perhaps  the  most  noteworthy  Diamond  hitherto 
yielded  by  these  States  was  one  discovered  at  Manchester, 
opposite  Richmond,  in  the  State  of  Virginia.  It  was 
found  by  a  labourer  at  work  in  one  of  the  streets,  and  was 
submitted  by  him  to  Mr.  J.  H.  Tyler,  sen.,  of  Richmond, 
who  at  once  pronounced  it  to  be  a  valuable  stone.  It 


Addenda. 


321 


presented  the  form  of  an  octahedron,  with  only  a  single 
small  black  spot  in  one  of  the  solid  angles  ;  and  after 
cutting  weighed  upwards  of  ten  carats. 

It  is  said  that  a  Diamond,  weighing  2\  carats,  was 
recently  found  by  a  hunter  while  stooping  to  drink  at  a 
small  brook  in  Missouri ;  but  it  is  only  fair  to  add  that 
some  doubt  has  been  thrown  on  the  provenance  of  this 
stone. 

Two  crystals,  each  weighing  more  than  two  carats, 
are  reputed  to  have  been  found  in  Indiana ;  and  a  beau¬ 
tiful  Diamond,  yielding  a  fine  stone  of  §  carat,  was  dis¬ 
covered  near  San  Francisco.  Occasionally  a  solitary  stone 
is  found  at  the  Portis  mine,  in  North  Carolina  ;  in  Hall 
County,  Georgia  ;  and,  it  is  said,  with  platinum,  in  Oregon. 
It  is  reported,  too,  that  Diamonds  have  been  found  in 
Idaho,  in  San  Juan  County,  Colorado  ;  and  at  Cherokee 
Flat  and  elsewhere  in  Butte  County,  California. 

In  a  work  quite  recently  published  on  “  The  Mineral 
Resources  of  New  Zealand,”  by  Mr.  H.  Bramall,  it  is 
stated  that  Diamonds  have  been  found  at  Raglan,  about 
seventy  miles  from  Auckland  ;  but  that  they  were  too 
small  to  be  of  any  value  as  gem-stones. 


X 


APPENDIX  A. 


On  the  Discrimination  of  Precious  Stones. 


HIS  Appendix  has  been  prepared  with  the  view  of  aiding  those 
readers  who  may  wish  to  become  acquainted  with  some  of 
the  scientific  means  employed  in  the  critical  examination  of 
Precious  Stones.  As  information  of  this  kind  is  necessarily  somewhat 
technical,  and  must  be  conveyed  in  scientific  language,  it  has  been  con¬ 
sidered  desirable  to  add  it  in  the  shape  of  an  Appendix  rather  than  to 
incorporate  it  in  the  body  of  the  work.  This  Appendix  is  therefore 
intended  not  so  much  for  the  general  reader  as  for  the  student  of  Precious 
Stones,  who  is  anxious  to  acquire  familiarity  with  the  modern  methods 
of  examining  the  physical  properties  of  minerals. 

Specific  Gravity. 

As  specific  gravity  is  a  readily  applicable,  yet  invaluable,  aid  in 
the  discrimination  of  Precious  Stones,  a  description  of  the  usual  modes 
of  taking  the  specific  gravity  of  a  mineral  may  be  useful.  By  specific 
gravity  is  meant  the  relative  weights  of  equal  bulks  of  different  kinds  of 
matter.  Distilled  water  at  6o°  F.  is  usually  taken  as  the  unit  of  com¬ 
parison,  so  that  if  a  gem  weigh  5%  times  as  much  as  an  equal  bulk  of 
water,  under  the  above  conditions,  it  is  said  to  have  a  specific  gravity 
of  5*5- 

One  method  consists  in  placing  the  gem  in  a  liquid  of  known  specific 
gravity,  and  observing  whether  it  sinks  or  floats.  The  liquid  must 
necessarily  be  of  very  high  specific  gravity  if  it  is  to  be  of  any  use  in 


Appendix. 


323 


dealing  with  gems.  Such  a  liquid  as  that  discovered  by  Mr.  Sonstadt, 
and  called  after  him  “-Sonstadt’s  Solution,”  is  very  useful,  and  can 
be  prepared  of  any  specific  gravity  up  to  about  3.  It  is,  however ,  very 
toisonous,  and  must  he  used  with  the  greatest  caution.  It  is  prepared  as 
follows:  Take,  say,  about  an  ounce  of  distilled  water,  and  dissolve 
therein  as  much  potassium  iodide  as  it  will  take  up  ;  to  which  add,  in 
small  portions  at  a  time,  mercuric  iodide,  until  no  more  of  this  body  will 
dissolve.  Again,  introduce  fresh  portions  of  potassium  iodide,  as  long  as 
it  will  dissolve,  and  then  add  mercuric  iodide  until  it  ceases  to  dis¬ 
appear  ;  and  so  on  alternately,  at  the  same  time  stirring  and  gently 
warming  the  solution  until  neither  salt  will  further  dissolve.  If  neces¬ 
sary,  it  may  be  filtered  through  asbestos  cloth.  The  solution  should  be 
of  a  bright  honey-yellow  color.  It  is  improved  by  keeping  a  drop  or  two 
of  metallic  mercury  at  the  bottom.  A  specific  gravity  as  high  as  3-18 
may  thus  be  attained,  but  for  the  purpose  of  discriminating  Precious 
Stones,  others  of  lower  specific  gravities  can  be  employed. 

In  a  solution  of  this  high  density,  any  stone  in  the  following  list 
would  float-. — Tourmaline,  Turquoise,  Labrador,  Beryl,  all  the  varieties 
of  Quartz,  and  Moonstone  ;  while  Garnet,  Sapphire,  Ruby,  Chrysoberyl, 
Spinel,  Topaz,  Diamond,  Peridot,  and  Chrysolite,  from  their  greater 
specific  gravity,  would  sink. 

Another  method  of  taking  specific  gravities  is  by  weighing  the  stone 
first  in  air  and  then  in  water,  and  dividing  the  former  weight  by  the 
difference  between  the  two  weighings.  A  simple  method,  and  one  gene¬ 
rally  of  sufficient  accuracy,  is  to  employ  a  first-class  pair  of  Diamond 
scales,  as  follows :  Drill  a  small  hole  in  the  bottom  of  one  of  the 
scale  pans,  through  which  pass  a  double  fibre  of  silk,  so  as  to  hang 
say  4  inches  below  the  pan ;  tie  a  knot  to  prevent  its  slipping  through  ; 
suspend  the  stone  in  the  silk  by  bending  back  the  silk  upon  itself,  so  as 
to  form  a  double  slip  noose ;  and  weigh  the  stone  very  carefully  while 
hanging  suspended  in  this  position.  Then  immerse  the  stone,  as  it  hangs, 
in  distilled  water.  It  will  appear  to  have  lost  weight,  being,  in  fact, 
buoyed  up  by  the  water  ;  now  add  carefully  more  weights,  till  an  equi¬ 
poise  is  effected ;  note  the  weight  by  which  this  is  obtained,  and  divide 
the  original  weight  of  the  stone  by  it,  and  the  quotient  will  give  the 
specific  gravity  required. 

Example :  In  weighing  a  white  stone  whose  specific  gravity  we  re¬ 
quired,  we  found  the  weight  of  the  stone  to  be  4,  £,  ^  carats.  The 

weights  effecting  the  equipoise,  x,  J,  carats.  We  have,  therefore, 

or  %^  =  3'53.  which  is  the  specific  gravity  required.  This 
would  indicate  the  specific  gravity  of  a  Diamond.  In  the  preceding  pages 
the  specific  gravity  of  each  stone  has  been  given  at  the  end  of  its  chapter, 


324 


Appendix. 


There  are  various  other  methods  for  determining  this  physical  con¬ 
stant,  but  the  above  will  suffice  for  ordinary  purposes,  care  being  taken 
to  have  the  stone  perfectly  clean,  and  carefully  damped  before  operation. 

The  Hardness  of  Gems. 

To  this  property  we  are  indebted  for  the  durability  of  lustre  enjoyed 
by  the  gems,  in  proportion  so  immensely  superior  to  that  of  every  other 
natural  or  artificial  product  employed  as  personal  ornaments.  The  lustre 
of  the  Diamond  may  be  closely  imitated  by  art ;  but  the  hardness  of  this 
stone  is  a  character  that  defies  imitation. 

A  German  mineralogist  named  Mohs  many  years  ago  invented  a 
scale  of  hardness  for  the  testing  of  minerals.  At  the  head  of  his  scale 
stands  the  Diamond,  and  the  various  degrees  are  ranged  as  follows  10, 
Diamond ;  9,  Ruby ;  8,  Topaz ;  7,  Quartz ;  6,  Felspar ;  5,  Apatite ;  4, 
Fluorspar;  3,  Calcite ;  2,  Gypsum;  1,  Talc. 

To  ascertain  the  hardness  of  a  stone,  it  is  rubbed  over  an  edge  of 
another  stone  of  known  hardness.  If  it  scratches,  say,  No.  7,  but  is 
scratched  by  No.  8,  its  hardness  will  lie  between  the  two  numbers.  If  it 
neither  scratches  nor  is  scratched  by  it,  the  two  are  identical  in  degree 
of  hardness. 

The  Optical  Properties  of  Gems. 

The  optical  properties  of  Gems  are  of  paramount  importance.  It  is 
to  these  properties  that  the  Diamond  owes  its  superlative  brilliancy  and 
its  flashing  forth  of  “  living  fire  ;  ”  to  these  properties,  too,  the  Ruby, 
owes  its  intensity  and  delicacy  of  hue  and  beauty  ;  in  a  word,  the  optical 
characters  constitute  a  great  gulf  that  divides  the  real  stone  from  the 
imitation. 


Reflection. 

When  a  ray  of  light  impinges  upon  the  surface  of  a  gem,  part  of  it 
passes  through  it,  in  accordance  with  well-known  optical  laws,  and  part 
of  it  is  thrown  back  or  reflected ,  in  obedience  to  the  following  laws : — 

(a.)  The  angle  of  incidence  is  equal  to  the  angle  of  reflection 
fj>.)  Both  the  incident  and  the  reflected  ray  are  in  the  same  plane, 
and  this  is  perpendicular  to  the  reflecting  surface. 

The  amount  of  light  thus  reflected  is  different  in  different  gems, 
and  it  varies  also  in  proportion  to  the  obliquity  with  which  the  incident 
ray  falls  upon  the  stone.  The  amount  of  light  reflected  increases  up  to  a 
certain  angle— differing  in  different  stones;  and  under  certain  conditions 
total  reflection  takes  place.  To  this  property  is  due  the  superior  brilliancy 
of  the  Diamond,  as  every  incident  ray  which  strikes  at  a  greater  angle 


Appendix. 


325 


than  240  13'  is  totally  reflected  from  its  internal  faces.  We  thus  see  the 
supreme  importance  of  cutting  a  Diamond,  not  only  of  a  graceful  and 
handsome  outline,  but  having  each  facet  cut  with  such  mathematical 
precision'  as  to  secure  the  greatest  amount  of  reflection  from  its 
surfaces. 

Refraction. 

Leaving  the  reflected  part  of  the  ray,  and  passing  on  to  notice  that 
part  which  is  transmitted  through  the  gem,  we  find  that  this  transmission 
is  regulated  by  laws  which  may  be  thus  enunciated  : — 

(a  )  A  ray  of  light  passing  from  a  rarer  into  a  denser  medium  (as 
from  air  into  a  gem)  is  bent  or  refracted  towards  a  line  drawn  perpendi¬ 
cularly  to  the  plane  which  divides  them  :  and  vice  versa. 

(6.)  The  sines  of  the  angles  of  incidence  and  refraction  bear  a  con¬ 
stant  relation  to  one  another  for  each  substance,  which  relation  is  known 
as  its  refractive  index  or  index  of  refraction.  It  is  to  this  property  that 
lenses  owe  their  magnifying  power ;  the  higher  the  indices,  the  higher 
the  magnifying  power.  The  refractive  index  of  the  Diamond  is  the  highest 
of  any  well-known  substance.  It  was  the  high  refractive  index  of  the 
Diamond  that  led  Newton  to  suspect  its  composition,  as  explained  in  the 
foregoing  pages  under  the  head  of  Diamond.  Sir  D.  Brewster  gives  the 
following  as  the  refractive  indices  (for  the  yellow  ray)  of  several  gem¬ 
stones  compared  with  glass  : — 


Diamond 

2'75 

Chrysoberyl 

1  76 

Zircon 

i'95 

Spinel 

175  to  i-8i 

Ruby 

177 

Crown  Glass 

>'5 

Dispersion. 

When  a  ray  of  common  white  light  passes  through  a  transparent 
medium,  it  may  suffer  decomposition,  and  be  split  up  into  its  component 
colors.  If  the  medium  be  properly  shaped,  this  decomposition  of  the 
light  is  rendered  evident,  and  in  place  of  the  white  light  which  entered 
there  emerges  a  beautiful  group  of  all  the  prismatic  colors  of  the 
rainbow. 

This  act  of  splitting  up  is  called  the  Dispersion  of  light.  It  is  the 
phenomenon  familiar  to  all  in  a  chandelier  drop.  As  might  be  anticipated, 
the  dispersion  is  highest  in  the  Diamond ;  in  fact,  the  dispersive  power 
of  this  stone  is  more  than  three  times  as  great  as  that  of  rock  crystal. 
It  is  upon  this  property  that  the  matchless  quality  called  fire  in  the 
Diamond  depends.  The  lower  the  dispersive  power,  the  less  fire  in  the 
gem  ;  the  higher  the  dispersive  power,  the  more  brilliant  and  iridescent 
is  the  fire  which  it  reflects  from  its  surfaces. 


326 


Appendix. 


Double  Refraction. 

The  Diamond,  Spinel,  Garnet,  and  all  other  substances  crystallizing 
in  the  Isometric  or  Cubic  System,  or  those  occurring  in  the  amorphous 
condition,  possess  only  simple  refraction.  The  rest  of  the  gems,  which 
crystallize  in  systems  other  than  the  cubic,  are  said  to  exhibit  double 
refraction  :  that  is  to  say,  when  a  ray  of  light  passes  through  them,  it  is 
split  up  into  two  rays,  one  of  which — called  the  ordinary  ray — follows  the 
laws  of  refraction  just  described,  while  the  other — called  the  extraordinary 
ray — follows  a  totally  different  law.  This  splitting  or  dividing  of  the  ray 
depends  upon  the  direction  in  which  the  light  is  transmitted  through  the 
gem  ;  there  being  a  certain  position  in  which  the  ray  suffers  no  division, 
and  the  substance  then  simply  acts  as  an  ordinary  medium,  possessing 
single  refraction  ;  this  direction  is  called  the  axis  of  double  refraction ,  or  the 
axis  of  no  refraction ,  or  the  optic  axis.  On  looking  at  a  small  bright  flame 
through  a  transparent  gem-stone,  the  flame  will,  if  it  be  a  simply  refract¬ 
ing  stone,  appear  single,  and  if  a  doubly  refracting  stone,  double.  This  is, 
however,  a  very  rough  test :  the  stone  must  be  moved  from  the  eye  till 
the  object  is  attained ;  and  the  facets  of  a  cut  stone  render  the  determi¬ 
nation  extremely  difficult. 

Polarization. 

There  is  an  important  series  of  changes  that  light  is  subject  to 
known  as  Polarization.  A  full  description  of  this  phenomenon  cannot  be 
given  here  ;  but  there  are  several  interesting  facts  that  may  be  mentioned. 

When  a  ray  of  light  falls  upon  a  reflecting  surface  at  a  certain  angle, 
and  thence  on  to  another  similar  surface,  at  a  similar  angle,  it  will  be 
found  that  when  the  second  surface  is  parallel  to  the  first,  the  ray  will 
be  reflected  from  its  surface ;  but  when  the  position  of  the  second  sur¬ 
face  is  turned  round  so  as  to  be  vertical,  the  ray  will  no  longer  be 
reflected,  and  will  therefore  disappear.  Under  these  conditions,  the  ray 
as  it  leaves  the  first  surface  is  said  to  be  Polarized ;  and  the  angle  at 
which  this  is  effected  is  called  the  Polarizing  angle.  This  is  different  in 
different  stones:  for  glass  it  is  540  35’;  for  Quartz,  57  32';  for  Dia¬ 
mond,  68° — the  angles  being  measured  from  a  normal  to  the  reflecting 
surface.  To  determine  the  polarizing  angle  of  a  gem,  we  have  simply  to 
reflect  a  ray  of  light  from  its  surface  at  such  an  angle  that  it  shall  refuse 
to  be  reflected  by  a  plate  of  glass  inclined  at  350  25'  to  the  ray,  when  the 
plane  of  incidence  is  at  right  angles  to  the  plane  of  reflection. 

When  a  ray  of  light  is  split  into  two  rays  by  its  passage  through  a 
doubly  refracting  medium,  the  two  are  polarized  ;  and  the  well-known 
instrument,  called  a  “  Nicol’s  prism,”  conveniently  enables  the  observer 
to  obtain  one  of  these  polarized  rays  apart  from  the  other. 

There  is  another  remarkable  property  of  gems  depending  upon 


Appendix. 


32  7 


polarization  and  double  refraction,  and  known  as  Pleiockroism.  This 
can  be  made  an  invaluable  aid  in  the  identification  of  gems,  by  the  help 
of  a  little  instrument  called  the  Dichroiscope, 

Pleiockroism. 

Pleiochroism  is  a  term  used  to  express  the  existence  of  a  plurality  of 
colors  in  one  and  the  same  stone,  when  viewed  by  transmitted  light  under 
certain  conditions.  The  mineral  called  Diehroite  and  some  other  stones 
show  this  difference  of  tint  to  the  unaided  eye,  but,  in  most  cases  the 
instrument  called  a  dichroiscope  is  needed  for  its  detection.  The  dichroi¬ 
scope,  which  is  a  very  valuable  aid  in  the  determination  of  gems,  is  con¬ 
structed  as  follows  A  cleavage  Rhombohedrcn  of  Iceland  spar!  with  its 
end  faces  ground  and  polished,  so  as  to  be  perpendicular  to  the  length 
of  the  prism,  is  fitted  into  a  small  cylinder  about  a  few  inches  in 
length.  At  one  end  is  a  sliding  cap  with  a  square  aperture  perforated 
through  its  centre.  At  the  other  end  is  a  lens,  or  combination  of  lenses, 
of  such  focal  length  that  when  -the  sliding  cap  is  pulled  out,  say  a  quarter 
of  an  inch,  it  will  show  a  distinct  image  of  the  square  aperture.'  If  a 
stone  be  introduced  in  front  of  the  aperture,  two  images  will  be  seen, 
and  these  will  be  of  the  same  or  of  different  hues,  according  to  the 
optical  characters  of  the  stone.  Those  minerals  which  crystallize  in  the 
Cubic  system,  such  as  Diamonds,  Garnets,  and  Spinels,  show  a  pair  of 
images  identical  in  color.  .But  all  Precious  Stones  crystallizing  in  any 
of  the  other  systems  show  two  images,  the  colors  of  which  differ  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent.  This  property  of  exhibiting  two  colors  is  called 
dichroism,  and  the  stone  possessing  it  is  said  to  be  dichroic. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  twin  colors  of  various  gems  seen  with 
the  dichroiscope,  as  given  by  Prof.  Church  : — 


NAME  OF  STONE. 

TWIN 

COLORS, 

Sapphire  (blue) 

Greenish  straw 

Blue 

Ruby  (red) 

Aurora  red 

Caroline  red 

Emerald  (green) 

Yellowish  green 

Bluish  green 

Beryl  (pale  blue) 

Sea  green 

Azure 

Aquamarine  (sea  green) 

Straw  white 

Grey  blue 

Chrysoberyl  (yellow) 

Golden  brown 

Greenish  yellow 

Tourmaline  (red) 

Salmon 

Rose  pink 

„  (green) 

Pistachio  green 

Bluish  green 

,,  (blue) 

Greenish  grey 

Indigo  blue 

Peridot 

Brown  yellow 

Sea  green 

Topaz  (sherry-yellow) 

Straw  yellow 

Rose  pink 

APPENDIX  B. 


General  Remarks  upon  the  term  “  CARAT.” 


HE  word  Carat  is  probably  derived  from  the  name  of  a  bean,  the  fruit  of 
a  species  of  Erythina,  which  grows  in  Africa.  The  tree  which  yields 
this  fruit  is  called  by  the  natives  “Kuara”  (Sun),  and  both  blossom  and  fruit 
are  of  a  golden  color.  The  bean  or  fruit,  when  dried,  is  nearly  always  of 
the  same  weight,  and  thus  in  very  remote  times  it  was  used  in  Shangallas,  the 
chief  market  of  Africa,  as  a  standard  of  weight  for  gold.  The  beans  were 
afterwards  imported  into  India,  and  were  there  used  for  weighing  the  Diamond. 


The  Carat  is  not  of  the  same  weight  in  all  countries  ;  for  instance: — 


One  Carat  in  England  and  her  Colonies  is  equal  to 

205-4090  mill 

„  France 

. 

205-5000 

„  Vienna 

.  .. 

..  206-1300 

„  Berlin 

. 

...  205-4400 

,,  Frankfort-on-Maine...  „ 

205-7700 

„  Leipzig 

. 

205-0000 

„  Amsterdam 

.  M 

N 

O 

Cn 

-4 

O 

O 

O 

,,  Lisbon 

...  ...  f9 

...  205-7500 

„  Leghorn 

...  ...  jy 

215-9900 

,,  Florence 

.  „ 

...  I95-2000 

„  Spain 

. 

105-3930 

,,  Borneo 

...  ...  99 

...  I05-0000 

,,  Madras 

...  ...  n 

207'3533 

72  carats  make... 

.  One  Cologne  oz. 

1 5 1 1  carats  make 

One  English  oz.  troy. 

The  ounce  weight  is  used  for  weighing  small  and  Baroque  Pearls , 
P emdots,  rotigh  Garnets ,  and  other  Semi-Precious  Stones. 

grams. 


INDEX 


Achates  River,  Agates 

PAGE 

named  from  ... 

213 

Achroite  ... 

306 

Adamantine  Lustre 

68 

■— — —  Spar 

1 5  3 

Adamus  ...  ...  28, 

137,  133 

Adularia  ... 

277 

Aerolites,  Peridot  in 

286 

Afghanistan  Rubies 

1  6l 

- — S - •  Spinels 

188 

Africa  (South),  Cat’s  Eye 

(so-called)  from 

tQOs  201 

- — — —  Crocidolite  of 

246, 247 

- —  Diamonds  of  57, 

80—100,  II 7,  IlS  ; 

first  discovery,  82; 

enormous  yield 

100 

- — —  Diamond  mines 

of  .  19,  22, 

86>  137 

- —  Precious  Stones  in 

24 

See  Cape  Diamonds. 

Africa  (West),  Diamonds 

reported  from 

80 

African  Coast,  Coral  of  ... 

3 1 5 

Agates  19,  27,  30,  31,  52, 

89,  213 — 216 

281 

- Amethysts  found 

associated  with 

228 

— - -  colouring  of  5 1 — 34,  215,  216 

- — - cooking  of,  in  honey 

51 

- -  -  dyeing  of  . . . 

52 

— — —  test  of  worth  of  ... 

52 

- of  Vaal  and  Orange 

Rivers 

89 

See  Idar.  Oberstein. 

Amir  Hills,  supposed  Tur- 

quoise  in 

2°3 

Alexander  the  Great.  Pre- 

cions  Stones  in  time  of 

29 

Alexandria,  Stone-engraving 

introduced  from 

48 

Alexandrite  ...  19, 

218,  240 

Algeria,  Diamonds  reported 

in 

80 

- Coral  of  ... 

314 

— — Emeralds  of 

iS  i 

“  Alrnandine  ”  ...  ...249—233 

g — — -  Garnet 

46 

-  Spinel 

189 

Alphabets  of  Precious  Stones 

31 

PAGE 

Altai  Mountains,  Aqua¬ 
marine  of  ...  ...  231 

— - - Emeralds  of  ...  181 

Alumina  and  Aluminium...  152,  174 
Amazon  ite, or  Amazon  Stone  220,  221 
Amber  ...  26 — 28,  222-— 226 

- - association  of,  with 

Lignite  ...  ...  223 

America,  Diamonds  of  80,  320,  321 

- Precious  Stones  of, 

generally  8o,  170,  187, 

193,  199,  200,  226, 

228,  231,  242,  251, 

2S5>  259>  278>  297> 

300—307  ...  ...  320,  321 

— - —  demand  for  Cat’s 

Eye  in  ...  ...  199,  200 

- — —  (South),  Emerald, 

&c.  of  ...  22,  179,  215,  228 


American  War,  price  of 
Diamonds  affected  by 
Amethyst  22 — 32,  213, 

227 — 229 

— - - burning  of 

- derivation  of  word 

Intaglios  ... 


58 

237 

S° 

229 

228 


Amsterdam,  centre  of  Dia¬ 
mond-trade  ...  ...  38 

-  Diamond-cutting  at 

36,  38>  4i,  42>  118 
Amsterdam  Exhibition, 


Borneo  Diamonds  in 
examples  of  Dia¬ 


mond-cutting  in 
Amulets,  use  of  Gems  as 
30,  59,  60,  205,  303 
Anatase 

Ancients,  their  knowledge 
and  use  of  Precious 


■35 


318 
1 10 


Stones  xi,  22 — 23 

j  34s 

64,1 

62, 168 

A73- 

■r7S. 

186, 

!9S> 

2  05, 

224, 

236, 

241, 

243> 

2S°> 

263, 

269, 

272, 

277> 

281, 

284, 

28S. 

292, 

294, 

301 

- engraving  of  Gems 

b7. . 

_ — -  jewels  of,  now  well 
copied  . 


47“ 


310 

-49 

49 


330 


Index. 


PAGE 

Ancients,  Diamonds  associated 


with  “thunderbolts” 

by  .  77 

- Turquoise  doubtful 

if  known  to  ..  ...  205 

“  Anthrax’YOrientalRuby)  158 

Antwerp,  Diamond-cutters 

of  .  37 

Apatite  ...  ...  ...  242 

Aphroselene  ...  ...  277 

Apostle-stones  _  ...  ...  30 

Appianus  on  Onyx-cups  ...  283 

Aquamarine  ...  174,  230 — 232 

- Chrysolite...  ...  231 

Arabia,  cooking  Agate- 

nodules  in  ...  ...  51 

-  Precious  Stones  of 

64,  168,  206,  277,  278, 


281,  283,  31 1 


Arabian  Sea,  Em erald-mines 

near  ...  ..  ...  175 

Arabian  Topaz  Amulet  ...  303 

Arfwedson  on  Chrysoberyl  241 

Aristotle  on  Precious  Stones  28 

Arizona,  Garnet  of  ...  251 

Armenia,  Corundum  of  ...  136 

- Oriental  Onyx  from  28  1 

Artificial  Gems  172,  173,  176,  284 
See  also  Colouring.  Idar. 

Oberstein. 

Asbestos  ...  ...  ...  246 

Asia  Minor,  Emery  from...  136 

Asparagus  (yellow  -  green 

Chrysoberyl) ...  ...  241 

Assyrians,  probable  use  of 

Corundum  by  ...  136 

Asterias,  or  Star  Stones  ...209 — 21 1 
Asterios  of  Periegetes  ...  28 

“  Asterites  ”  found  in  a  fish  210 

‘‘ Astrapia  ”  ...  ...  210 

Auctions  of  Rough  Stones  57 

Aurungzeb 's  Topaz  ...  302 

Australia,  Gems  of,  gene¬ 
rally  23,  24,  80,  104— 

106,  162,  169,  170, 

228,251,272,302 


Australian  Diamonds  80,  101  — 106 


Australian  Diamond-mines 

Co.  ...  ...  ...  102 

Austria,  Almandine  of  ...  250 

Ava,  Sapphire  seen  at  ...  170 

Ava,  King  of,  Rubellite 

presented  by  ...  ...  307 

Avanturine  ...  ...  233,  234 

Avanturine-glass  ...  ...  233 

Aztecs,  Emeralds  cut  by  the  178 

Azul  (Lapis-Lazuli)  ...  269 


PAGE 

Azurite  ...  ...  ...  274 


Babin  et,  treatment  of  Dia- 

monds  by 

67 

Babylon,  Bloodstone  used  in 

235 

-  Oriental  Onyx  from 

281 

Baccius  on  Gems  202, 

267,  277 

Badakshan  Spinels 

1 87,  188 

Baden,  Carnelian  found  in... 

237 

Bahia,  Diamonds  &c.  of 

ri2, 

1 1  6,  >44 

Balas  Rubies  ...  ...1 

86—190 

Ball,  Prof.  V.,  on  Indian 

Diamond-districts 

126 

Barberini  Palace,  Gems  in 

49 

Barbot,  experiments  on  Dia- 

monds  by 

69,  70 

Barklyite  ... 

I  6-2 

Baroche,  Carnelian  found  at 

5° 

Baltic,  Amber  of  the 

224 

Bavaria,  Cat’s  Eye,  &c.  of 

22,  797,  201,  231 

260 

Beaumont,  Major,  informa- 

tion  communicated  by  ... 

xiTi 

— - his  Diamond  rock- 

boring  patents 

1 46 

“Beau  Sancy  ”  Diamond... 

36 

Bedford,  Duke  of,  engraved 

Diamond  in  possession  of  61 

Beechworth  Diamonds  and 

Rubies 

105, 162 

Bengal,  Diamond-beds  mar 

1 30 

Berlin  Museum,  Gems  at  ... 

49,  z39 

- Malachite  vase  in... 

274 

Bernard!,  engraving  Caine- 

lian  by 

49 

Berne  Museum,  Rock-crys- 

tal  in  ... 

293 

Berquem,  Diamond-cutting 

hy  . 35,  36'  6° 

Beryl,  22—31.  59,  174,  179, 

230,  231, 

237,  242 

- Blue  . 

28 

Beryllium  ... 

174,  288 

Bhudda  Festival,  jewel-mar- 

ket  at  ... 

56 

Bible,  the.  Precious  Stones 

referred  to  in  25,  26, 

59.  '-55,  !56-  l66>  >75, 

236,  263,  264,  283,  3 1  8 

Bingera  Diamond-field 

io3 

Birago,  Diamond-engraving 

by  . 

49, 61 

Birds,  legendary  weeping  of 

Amber  by 

225 

Birkenfeld,  Agate-polishing 

at  ...  ... 

2 1 6 

Index. 


PAGE 

Blacas  Collection  of  Gems  49 

Black  Diamonds  ...  69,  78,  142 

- Opal  ...  ...  196 

- Pearls,  imitation  of  257 

- Tourmaline  ...  307 

Bleasdale,  Dr.,  on  Victorian 

Diamonds  ...  ...  105 

Bloodstone...  ...  ...  235,  257 

Blue  Beryl...  ...  ...  28 

-  Diamonds,  134 — 

1 41  ;  first  in  Europe, 

137;  Blue  Drop,  140  ; 

Blue  White  ...  ...  98 

- Sapphire  ...  ...167 — 170 

- Spinel  ...  ...  187 

Blum  on  Diamonds  and 

Emeralds  ...  ...  49,  180 


Boethius.  See  De  Boot. 

Bohemia,  Sapphires,  &c.  of 
170,  189,  213,  231, 

250,  253,  281,  302 
“  Bohemian  Garnet  ”  ...  253 

Borah  Tin  and  Diamond 

Mining  Co.  ...  ...  104 

Borgio,  cutter  of  Koh-i-nur  39 

Boring  of  Coral  ...  ...  316 

Borneo  Black  Diamonds  ...  69 

-  Diamonds,  &c.  of 

69,  80,  81,  112,  123—135,  241 
Boron  and  Carbon...  ...  143.  146 

Bort  ...  ...  ...  143 

Bowles  on  probable  Dia¬ 
mond-finds  in  Spain...  80 

Boyle  on  Diamonds  ...70,71,  83 
Brabant  Rose  ...  ...  46 

Bramall,  Mr.,  on  New 

Zealand  Diamonds  ...  321 

Brazil,  former  Diamond- 

trade  of  ...  ...  57 

- Precious  Stones  in, 

generally  22,  24,  50, 

116,  144,  228,  230, 

238,  241,  248,  251, 

286,  294,  295,  299, 


300—304,  307 
“  Brazilian  Agate  ”  ...  215 

Brazilian  Diamond-mines 

19,  22,  106,  1 18,  137 
Brazilian  Diamonds  22,  63, 

65,  80,  8  1,  1 07 — 1 1 8 
- in  relation  to  African 


Diamonds  ...  ...  57,  100 

—  colourless  ...  ...  68 

—  discovery  of  ...  107 

—  first  sold  as  Indian 

stones...  ...  ...  107 


rtiinerals  associated  with  1 1 0 


331 


PAGE 

Brazilian  produce  and  value  of  117 
Bredmeyer,  Mr.,  on  Ruby- 

mines  of  Burmah  ...  159 

Breslau,  Red  Jasper  of  ...  265 

Brewer,  Mrs.,  translation  of 

Kluge’s  work  by  ...  xiii 

Brewster  on  Diamonds,  &c. 

67,  68,  77,  227 
Brighton  Museum,  Amber 


cup  in...  ...  ...  225 

Brilliant,  generally  36,  41, 

60,  67,  85,  97,  137  —142,  168 


- facetting,  &c.  of  ... 

44 

-  when  first  known 

60 

- price  of  ... 

150 

Briolettes  ... 

45 

“  Bristol  Diamonds  ” 

294 

British  Museum,  Gems  in 

49,  78,  228,  261;,  402,  407 

- — —  likeness  of  Chaucer 

in  Jasper  in  ... 

265 

Brittany,  T urquoise  -  like 

ornaments  found  in  ... 

207 

Brown,  Major,  on  Lacha 

Pass  Sapphires 

169 

Browne,  Sir  T.,  on  Dia- 

monds  and  Crystal  ... 

65,  2qi 

Bruges,  Diamond-cutting  in 

35 

Brunswick,  Duke  of,  his 

“  Blue  Drop”  Diamond 

140 

Bruting  of  Precious  Stones 

33 

Bruzzi,  V.,  his  experiments 

on  coloured  Diamond 

37 

Bucharia,  Lapis-Lazuli  of... 

270 

Bulfontein,  dry  diggings  of 

91,  92 

Bundelkhund,  Diamonds  of 

I  2  I 

Burgundy,  Duke  of,  Dia- 

monds  presented  by  ... 

35,  36 

Burmah,  King  of,  Ruby 

ear-drop  of  ... 

163 

Burmah,  Rubies,  &c.  of  158 

— 164,  168,  181,  187 

251 

Burmah  Stone 

l6l 

Burning  of  Precious  Stones 

5°,  5i 

“  Burning  of  Troy”  Opal 

I95 

Burton,  Capt.,  on  Turquoise 

205 

Cabochon  style  of  cutting  46, 

,  47,  209 

Cacholong... 

31 

Caillaud  on  Emeralds 

'75,  576 

Caire,  M.,  his  Star  Brilliant 

45 

Cairngorm... 

292 

Cairo,  Jasper  found  near  ... 

265 

Calconite  ... 

207 

California  Precious  Stones 

in  ...  ...  ...  24,  321 

Callaipite  ,,,  ,,,  207,  208 


Index. 


332 


PAGE 

202 

56 


Callais,  or  Callaina 
Caltura,  working  Gems  in 
Cameos  1 8 ,  47 — 49,  206, 

237— 239,  274,  z8i  — 

283,  295,  310,  31 1 

■  -  transparent  stones 

rarely  used  for 
Candite 
Cape  Diamonds  38,  58,  68, 

'3G  J49,  !5° 

- - colourless  ...  ...  68 

- first  discovered  ...  83 

- -  rock  in  which  found, 

compared  with  Indian 

rock  ...  ...  ...  131 

Cape  Rough  Diamonds  ...  149,  150 
Caradossa,  Diamonds  first 

sculptured  by...  ...  49 

Carat,  remarks  on...  ...  328 

Carbon,  Diamond  formed 

from  ...  ...  ...  76,  151 

■  - connected  with  Boron  1 46 

Carbonado  ...  100,  1 1  2,  143  — 146 

-  undiscovered  in 


3*7 

48 

186 


South  Africa  ... 
Carbuncle,  ...  59,  249,  252, 
- steeping  of,  in  vine¬ 
gar  . 

“  Carbunculus  ” 


:53, 


TOO 

284 


57 

158,  1 86 


(Oriental 

Ruby) 

Cardanus  on  Opal  and  Zir¬ 
con  ...  ...  ...  I 9 1, 

Carnelian  ...  30,  31,  213,  236- 

- dyeing  of  ... 

- - engraving  of 

- origin  of  word 

Carnelian  Beryl 

- Onyx 

“  Carnelian  of  Brazil  ” 

Carolina  (North),  Corun-  - 

dum,  &c.  of  ...  155,  259,  321 

Carrara  Marble,  Rock- 

crystal  in  ...  ...  293 

Carthagena,  Amethysts  of  228 
Cashmere,  Gems  of  ...  23,  168,  169 
Catherine,  Empress,  presen¬ 
tation  of  Ruby  by  ...  163 

Cat’s  Eye,  47,  55,  56,  168, 

197  —  201,  240,  246,  247 
• -  four  stones  known 


under  name  of 
- True 


See  Chrysoberyl. 
Celebes,  Diamonds  of 
Cellini,  Benvenuto,  on  Ruby 
Celts  of  Jade 
“  Ceraunia  ” 


3°9 

239 

52 
49 

256 
23  7 
237 

53 


201 

.  197 — 201 

80 

1 62 
261 
210 


PAGE 

Ceylon,  abundance  of  large 

Gems  in  ...  ...  22 

- chatoyant  quartz  of  197 

■ -  Precious  Stones  of, 

generally  22,  24,  55,57, 

168,  187 — 189,  199, 

210,  218,  219,  228, 

241,  254,  260,  277, 

293-  3=5,  3=7,  31 1 

-  Sapphires  and  Ru¬ 
bies  of  154,  1 6 1,  168,  17 1,  2T  1 


Ceylonite  ...  ...  ...  186,  189 

Chalcedony  31,  213,  214, 

236,  237,  243>  247>  284 

- blue  colouring  of  ..  53 

Chaldeans,  amulets  used  by  60 

Chardin  on  Rubies  ...  163 

Charlemagne,  Diamonds  in 

mantle  of  ...  ...  34 

Charles  VII.,  first  Diamond 

ornaments  in  reign  of  60 

Charlotte,  Queen,  Amethyst 

necklace  of  ...  ...  228 

Chaucer,  likeness  of,  in  Jas¬ 
per  ...  ...  ...  265 


Chemical  Composition  oi 

Gem-stones.  See  under 
Specific  Gravity,  &c. 

Chemistry,  essential  in  science 

of  Jewelry  ...  ...  20 

Chessy,  Malachite  from  ...  273 

Chessylite  ...  ...  ...  ^74 

China,  Burmese  Rubies 

taken  to  ...  ...  1  60,  1  61 

-  Coral  worn  in  ...  316 

-  Diamond  rock-bor¬ 
ing  in .  147 

■ — - - Jade  used  in  ...261,316 

-  Precious  Stones  of 

163,  181,  223,  228,  231,  270 
China,  Emperor  of.  his  Jas¬ 
per  seal  ...  ...  264 

Christ,  Bloodstone  bust  of  235 

Christian  Era,  writers  on 

Precious  Stones  in  ...  29 

Christie  and  Manson,  sale 
of  Empress  Eugenie’s 
jewels  by  ...  ...  3 1 7 

Chrysoberyl  31,  32,  1 1 2, 

197 — 201,  219,  240 — 242,  286 
See  Cat’s  Eye, 

Chrysocolla  ...  175,  274,  275 

-  resemblance  of,  to 

Turquoise  ...  ...  275 

Chrysolite  xi,  27 — 31,  240 

—  242,  285,  287 

Chrysopal  ...  ...  ...  244 


Index. 


333 


PAGE 


Chrysoprase  ...  31, 

-  imitating  colour  of 

Church,  Prof.,  on  Precious 

243 — 245 
54 

Stones  ...  ix,  x, 

Church  Ornaments,  Dia- 

312,  327 

monds  in 

34 

Cincora  Diamonds 
Cingalese,  Cat’s  Eye  prized 

i<7 

by  . 

200 

Cinnamon  Stone  36,  234,  233,  311 

Circular  Agate 

214 

Citrine 

2Q2 

Clark  on  the  Diamond 
Clarke,  Rev.  W.  B.,  on 
New  South  Wales 

74 

Diamonds 

Classification  of  Precious 

IOI 

Stones 

Cleavage  of  Diamonds,  &c. 

18,  149 

33,  63>  l8°, 
Climate  in  relation  to  mine- 

189,  241 

rals  ... 

“  Clouds  ”  in  Precious 

22 

S  tones 

5« 

“Coast  Cat’s  Eye” 

Cohen  on  Cape  Diamond- 

*97 

rock  ... 

95 

“  Colesberg  Kopje  ” 

94 

Cologne,  Onyx-pillar  in  ... 
Colombo,  working  of  Gems 

283 

in 

Colorado,  Amazonite,  &c. 

56 

of  ...  220,  251,  288, 

Colour  of  Diamond,  ex- 

3°3,  321 

tracting 

- of  Gem-stones.  See 

generally  under  Name 
of  Gem.  Also ,  Twin- 
colours. 

37 

Coloured  Stones  ...  ...1 

- English  unrivalled  in 

5 1 — 21 1 

treatment  of  ... 
Colouring  of  Precious  Stones 

37 

S1 — 54,  : 
See  also  Idar.  Oberstein. 

215,  216 

Columbia,  Diamonds  of  ... 
Combustibility  of  Diamond, 

81 

&c. 

See  Burning. 

Commodus,  Emperor,  en- 

7°,  71 

graved  Aquamarine  of 

232 

Common  Opal 

192 

Connecticut,  Ioiite  of 
Constantine's  gemmed  cha- 

260 

riot 

29 

Conti  on  a  Diamond-produc- 

ing  mountain 

128 

PAGE 

Convex-cut  Stones...  ...  46 

Copenhagen,  Gems  in  ...  49 

Copper-ore,  Malachite  with  272 
Coral  and  Coral-fishing  26,27,  3  1  3-3 1 8 
“  Coral  Rouge  of  Lamarck  ”  317 

Cordilleras,  Lapis-Lazuli  of  270 
Cornwall,  Topaz,  &c.  of  273,  303,  307 
Corsica,  Jasper  of  ...  ...  265 

Corundum  15  1  — 162,  167, 

188,  227,  240 

-  meaning  of  name  152 

-  remarkable  deposit 

of  .  >55 

Cosmo  III.,  Diamond-expe¬ 
riments  suggested  by...  70,  71 

Cost  of  Diamond-cutting  on 

the  Continent  ...  42 

-  of  engraved  Dia¬ 
monds  ...  ...  61 

See  Prices.  Value. 

Coster  and  Sons,  cutters  of 

Koh-i-nur  ...  ...  39,  42 

Crawfurd,  Mr.  J.,  on  Pre¬ 
cious  Stones  in  Burmah  139 
Crocidolite...  31,  200,  201,  246 

- Cat's  Eye...  ...  247 

Croockewit,  Dr.,  on  Borneo 

Diamond-workings  ...  133 

Crookes,  Mr.,  on  Diamond, 

&c .  70,  252 

Crown  Jewels  ...  ...  26,  283 

-  of  France  35,  36, 

60,  138,  190,  295 

- of  Italy  ...  ...  179,232 

- of  Russia  ...  ...  37 

Crystal  ...  ...  ...  50,  201 

See  Rock  Crystal. 

Crystal-balls  as  lenses  ...  294 


Crystalline  System  of  Gem¬ 
stones.  See  under  Spe¬ 
cific  Gravity,  &c. 

Culet  or  Culette  of  the 


Brilliant  ...  ...  44 

Cumberland,  hard  Hematite 

of  .  257 

“  Cupid’s  Arrows  ”  ...  293 

‘‘  Curious  Speculations,”  &c., 
history  of  Tourmaline 
in  ...  ..  ...  305 

Cutting  of  Diamonds,  &c. 


34—47,  6o,  237 


Cymophane  ...  ...  198,  240 

“  Cyprian  Smaragdus  ”  ...  177 

Cyprus,  Emerald  unknown 

in  ...  ...  ...  177 

-  Gems  in  tombs  and 

temples  of  ...  ...  283 


334  Index. 


PAGE 

D’Acosta  on  Emeralds  ...  179 

D’Amato  on  Ruby-mines  of 

Burmah  ...  ...  159 

Damour,  M.,  on  Callais  ...  208 

Darfour,  report  of  Diamonds 

sent  to  ...  ...  80 

Davy,.  Sir  H.,  on  Diamond  72 

Deaz,  Bernal,  on  Calconite  207 

De  Beers,  earliest  in  Cape 

Diamond-fields  ...  91,  9 2 

De  Boot  on  Diamonds,  &c. 

30,  37,  64,  69,  190, 

264,  283,  301,  309 
De  Laet  on  Emeralds  . .  176 

Demidofl,  Prince,  Malachite 

from  mine  of...  ...  274 

Democritus  of  Thrace,  imi¬ 
tation  of  Emeralds  by  176 

Derbyshire,  Selenite  of  ...  276 

Derbyshire-Spar  ...  ...  276 

Descloizeaux,  M.,  on  Amazon 

Stone...  ...  ...  220 

Despretz  on  Diamond  ...  75 

Deville.  See  Wohler  and 
Deville. 

Devonshire  Collection,  fine 

Emerald  in  ...  ...  179 

Diamantina  ...  ...  no 

- —Diamonds...  ...  117 

Diamond,  chemical  compo¬ 
sition  of  .  ...  ...  70,  81 

• -  cleavage  of  ...39,40,63 

- colour  of  37,68,99,  136 — 142 

— — - — combustibility  of  ...  70 

-  crystalline  forms  of  62,  81 

- -  crystallized  carbon  87 

- dispersion  of  ...  66 

-  fracture  of  ...  64 

-  geographical  distri¬ 
bution  of  ...  ...  80 


-  hardness  of  ...  39,  64,  65,  81 

-  lustre  of  ... 

68 

- medical  virtues  attri- 

buted  to 

59 

-  non-conductor  of 

electricity 

70 

- non-polarizer  of  light 

67 

- optical  properties  of 

63,  66 

-  origin  of  ... 

66,  76 

-  phosphorescence  of 

69 

- reflection  and  refrac- 

tion  of 

65,  66 

-  relative  rank  of  ... 

19 

-  specific  gravity  of. .. 

81 

-  union  of  opposite 

elements  in  ... 

18 

- vegetable  origin  of... 

77 

PAGE 

Diamonds,  generally  28 — 35, 

57—59,  24I 

- of  Australia,  Brazil, 

India,  & c.  22,  57,  101 

— 118,  320—321 

■ - removing  colour  and 

flaws  of  ...  ...  37 

- rise  and  fall  of  price 

of  ...  ...  ...  38 

- - —  first  use  of,  for  orna¬ 
ment  ...  ...  ...  59 

- otherstones  mistaken 

for  ...  ...  ...  61 

-  how  got  into  river- 

gravels  ...  ...  89 

- smuggling  of,  by 

negroes  ...  ...  1 14,  x  15 

-  Zircons  sold  as  ...  311 

See  Black  Diamonds. 

Brazilian  Diamonds. 

Brilliant.  Cape  Dia¬ 
monds,  &c. 

Diamond-amulets  ...  ...  59,  60 

Diamond-bearingrock,  erup¬ 
tive  origin  of ...  ...  92 

Diamond-cutters  of  Amster¬ 
dam  ...  ...  ...  118 

Diamond-cutting  33 — 47, 

60,  143,  144 
Diamond-dust  ...  39,  69,  143 

Diamond-engraving  ■••49.  60,  61 

Diamond-grinding  and 

polishing  ...  34,  40 — 42 

Diamond-mines  of  Africa, 

Brazil,  and  India  19, 

22,  128,  129,  132 
Diamond  Rock-boring  Co.  145 
Diamond-splitting...  ...  39,40 

Diamond-trade  ...  1 1 7 ,  118,  150 

Diaspore  ...  ...  ...  31 

Dichroiscope,  use  of  ...  165 

Dichroism  of  Tourmaline...  306 
Dichroite  ...  ...  ...  260 

Diodorus  on  Topaz  ...  28 

Dionysius  Periegetes  on  Dia¬ 
mond,  &c.  ...  ...  28 

Dioscorides  on  Moonstone  277 
Discrimination  of  Precious 

Stones  ...  ...  322 

Dispersion...  ...  ...  66,  325 

“  Dissentis’  Hyacinth”  ...  254,  255 

Dominicode’  Camei,  cutting 

of  stones  by  ...  ...  49 

Domitian,  use  of  Emeralds  by  176 

Double  Refraction  of  Gems  68,  326 
Draakensberg,  a  possible 

home  of  Diamonds  ...  90 


Index. 


335 


PAGE 

Drayson,  Mr.  C.,  his  Green 

Diamond  ...  ...  141 

Dree,  Marquis,  Sard-Onyx 

Cameo  of  ...  ..  283 

Dresden  Museum,  Diamonds 

in  ...  ...  ...  62,  141 

Drytzehen,  A.,  Gem-cutting 

by  .  34 

“ Dudley  "  Diamond  ...  96 

Duncannon,  Lord,  his  en¬ 
graved  Zircon  ...  310 

Dunn,  Mr.,  on  Diamond¬ 
bearing  rock  ...  ...  92 

“  Dust”  in  Precious  Stones  58 

Dutch,  first  Cape  Diamonds 

found  by  ...  ...  83 

- Tourmaline  brought 

to  Europe  by  ...  ...  305 

Dutch  Brilliants  ...  ...  43 

Dutch  East  India  Co.,  rough 

stones  received  by  ...  57 

Du  Toit's  Pan  Diamonds 


91,  92,  97,  98 
Dyeing  of  Precious  Stones. 

See  Colouring. 


East,  the,  early  Diamond- 

trade  in  ...  ...  59 

“  Ecume  de  Sang ”  ...  317 

“ Edelsteinkunde  ”  ...  19 

Egypt,  Emeralds,  &c.  of 

22,  176,  206,  264,265,  281,  294 

- Scarabsen  Gems,  &c. 

in  ..  ...  ...  25 

Egyptian  Mummies,  Eme¬ 
ralds  found  on  ...  175 

- Pebble  ...  ...  31 

Egyptians,  probable  use  of 

Corundum  by  ...  156 

-  early  working  of 

Emerald-mines  by  ...  175 

-  use  of  engraved 

Bloodstone  by  ...  235 

Elba,  Tourmaline  of  ...  306,  307 


Electricity,  Diamond  a  non¬ 
conductor  of  ...  ...  70 

-  from  Amber,  &c. 

223,  292,  302,  306 
Eliason,  Mr.,  his  Blue  Bril¬ 


liant  ...  ...  ...  138 

Emerald  22,  28 — 32,  47,  59, 

174 — 183,  230,  241 
Emerald-column  at  Tyre  ...  28 

Emerald-mines  ...  ...  175 

Emery,  for  polishing,  &c. 

,  t55  —  *57.  237>  a64,  310 

England,  Diamond-cutters  of  37 


PAGE 

England,  Precious  Stones  sent 

to  ...  ...  ...  56 

-  Stone-engraving  in  49 

Engraving  Diamonds  . . . 49,  60,  61 

- Precious  Stones, 

generally  47 — 50,  171, 

179,  194,  205,  206, 

228,  232-239,  250, 

274,  281 — 283,  295, 

3°3,  3I0>  3  *  7 
Essonite  ...  ...  254,255,311 

Ethiopia,  Corundum,  Pearls, 

and  Zircon  of  26,  156,  31 1 
Etruria,  Duke  of,  Turquoise 

owned  by  ...  ...  205 

Euclase  ...  ...  ...  248 

Eugenie,  Empress,  objection 

to  Opal  by  ...  ...  27 

-  carved  Coral  in 

collection  of  . . .  ...  317 

Europe,  no  Jade  found  in  ...  261 

Evodus,  Aquamarine  en¬ 
graved  by  ...  ...  232 

Exhibition  (London),  Gems 

in  163,  170,  171,  179,  188,  206 

- (Paris).  Gems  in,  61,  1  tq,  lQt 

Eye  Agate .  214 

Facets  ...  33,  35,  43—47,  50 

False  Topaz  ...  ...  192,  302 

Family  Jewels,  importance 

of  correctly  valuing  ...  x 

“Feathers  ”  in  Diamonds, 


&c . 

5*.  69 

Felspar 

31 

Ferdinand  I.,  Coral-amulet 

worn  by 

3*8 

Field  on  Lapis-Lazuli 

270 

“  Fire  ”  of  Brilliants 

'37 

Fire-opal  ... 

192 

“  Fire-rocks  ” 

267 

Firestone  ... 

3 1 

Fire-wotshippers  and  Am- 

ber 

225 

Fischer,  Prof,  on  Crocido- 

lite  Cat’s  Eye... 

247 

“Fish’s  Eye” 

277 

“  Fleches  d’ Amour  ” 

293 

Flight,  Dr.,  on  Cape  Dia- 

mond-rock 

93 

Flinders’  Island  Topaz 

3°3 

Florence,  Gems  at...  49, 

206,  239 

-  Jasper  used  for  mo- 

sales  at 

264 

Fluorescence  of  Amber 

224 

Fluor-spar  ... 

177 

“  Fly  ”  Diamond  ... 

97 

33<5 


Index. 


PAGE 

Forster,  Mr.  J.  N.,  Rubies, 

&c.  re-cut  by  163,  164, 

171,  187,  188 

Foster,  Mr.  J.  A.,  informa¬ 
tion  communicated  to 
Author  by  ...  ...  xiii 

Form  of  Gem-stones.  See 
under  Specific  Gravity, 

&c. 


Fortification  Agate 

215 

Fossil  Turquoise  ... 

206 

Fouque  on  Cape  Diamond- 

rock  ... 

95 

Fourcroy  on  Diamond 

74 

Fracture  of  Diamond,  &c... 

64,  180 

France,  Amber,  Beryl,  and 

Rock-crystal  of  ...  223,  2 

31’  293 

-  Coral-fishing  by  ... 

3  1  5 

- Crown  Jewels  of 

3 6,  60,  138,  1 

90,  295 

- Diamond-cutting  in 

.  36 

- -  Diamond-ornaments 

early  used  in  ... 

60 

— - Revolution  in,  affect- 

ing  price  of  Diamonds 

-  Stone-engraving  in 

49 

See  Paris. 

Francis  I.,  Diamonds,  &c.  of  5< 

3,60,71 

Frederick  the  Great,  use  of 

Chrysoprase  by 

243 

Galen  on  Jasper  ... 

264 

Galle,  working  of  stones  in 

56 

Gani  Coulour  Diamonds  125. 

126,137 

Garnet,  generally  31,  34, 

46,  102,  1 12,  1 64,  1  65, 

187,  211,  242,  249 — 2 

56,  3x1 

- - -  resemblance  of,  to 

Ruby  ...  ...  ...  1 

64,  165 

“  Garnet  Plates ”  ...  ,,, 

250 

Garrards,  first  Cape  Dia- 

mond  in  possession  of. . . 

85 

Gassiot  on  Diamond 

75 

“  Gem  of  the  Sun  ” 

278 

Gems  ...  ,.  25,  3c 

’,  49.  9  6 

-  ancient,  imitation 

of 

49 

- classification  of  ... 

18,19 

- -  definition  of 

17—  20 

- proper  for  each  month 

3° 

See  Amulets.  Jewels. 

Precious  Stones. 

Gem-stones 

1  8,  22 

Genesius  on  “Pitdah”  ... 

301 

Genlis,  Madame  de,  on  Sap- 

phi  re  ... 

172 

Genoa,  Coral- working  in  ... 

3x6 

PAGE 


Geology,  essential  to  science 

of  Jewelry  ...  ...  20 

-  of  Diamond-fields: — 

Africa  ...  ...  86 

Australia  ...  106 

Borneo  ...  ...  134 

Brazil  ...  ...  108,  109 

India  ...  ...119 — 1  3  1 

New  South  Wales  '  102 
Geometry,  essential  to  science 

of  Jewelry  ...  ...  20 

Germany,  Agate-polishing 

mills  of  ...  ...  215 

- -  Amber-fields  of  ...  223 

- Diamond-cutting  in  41,  42 

■ - Stone-engraving  in  49 

Germany,  Emperor  of,  Greek 

gems  in  possession  of  238 

Gesenius  on  Emerald  ...  175 

Girdle  of  the  Brilliant  ...  44 

Glass,  gold-spangled,  used  as 

Avanturine  ...  ...  233 

Glucina  in  Chrysobery!  ...  241 

Glucinum  ...  ...  ...  174,  288 

Goebel  on  Diamond  ...  77 

Goeppert,  Prof.,  on  Amber  223 

Golconda, Diamonds  of  1 2 1,  125  — 127 
Gold,  associated  with  Pre¬ 
cious  Stones  ...  ...  24 

Goldschmidt,  Mad.,  Opals  of  195 
Goldsmiths ’Company, exhi¬ 
bitions  by,  desirable  ...  xii,  xiii 
Gooseberry  Stone  (Grossu- 

laria)  ...  ...  ...  255 

“  Goutte  d’Eau  ”  ...  ...  304 

Granite  ...  ...  ...  31 

Gravels,  Diamonds,  &c.  in  89,  102 
“Great  Mogul”  Diamond  1  2 1 ,  126 
Greeks,  Amber  ornaments  of  225 

- Carnelian  Cameosof  238 

- cutting  stones  by  ...  48 


-  Precious  Stones  of 

26—28,  277,  281,  294, 

295,  301.  307 

-  Sapphire-charms 

used  by  ...  ...  168 

- Stone-engraving  in¬ 
troduced  into  Italy  by  48 

Greek-writers,  “  Adamas  ” 

°f  . >37,  >53 

Green-colour  of  Diamonds 

and  Sapphires...  136,  141,  160 

- of  Emerald  175 — 179,  184 

Greenland,  Amber  and  Gar¬ 
net  of...  ...  ...  223,  251 

Gregory  XIII.,  his  Zircon 

cameo  ...  ...  311 


Index. 


337 


PAGE 


Grinding  of  Precious  Stones 
Griqualand,  Cat’s  Eye  from 

— - Diamond-fields  of... 

Guilds  of  Gem-cutters 

42 

200 

85 

34.  35 

Gustavus  III  ,  Ruby  pre¬ 

sented  to 

163 

Guttenberg,  Gem-cutting  by 

34 

Gwydir  Diamond-mining  Co. 

104 

Gypsum 

276 

Halphen,  Mr.  J.,  Red  Dia¬ 

mond  of 

141 

Hannay,  J.  B.,  on  Diamond 

79,  go 

HardnessofGem-stones.  See 
under  Specific  Gravity,  &c. 
Hargraves,  Mr.,  on  New 

South  Wales  Gems  ...  ioi 

Harlequin  Opal  ...  ...  191,  195 

Hartz,  Jasper  of  the  ...  265 

Hausmann  on  Diamond  ...  77 

Haiiy  on  Spinel  ...  ...  189 

Haiiyne  ...  ...  ...  269 

Heat,  effect  of,  on  Opal  ...-  192 

Helen  of  Troy,  Aster  used  by  2:0 

Heliotrope...  ...  ...  31,235 

Helmreicher,  Diamond-col¬ 
lection  of  ...  ..  136 

Hematite  ...  ...  ...  257,  258 

Herculaneum,  Emerald  orna¬ 
ments  from  ...  ...  175 

Hermann,  Diamond-cutter  35 

Hernias,  King,  Emerald¬ 
eyed  lion  on  tomb  of  1 77 

Herodotus  on  Poiycrates’ 

ring,  &c.  ...  ...  27,  28 

Heron,  Dr.,  Spinel  owned  by  188 
Heyne  on  Indian  Diamond- 

mines  ...  ...  ...  1  25,  127 

Hiddenite  ...  ...  ...  259,  300 

“  Highgate  Resin  ”  ...  225 

Hindoos,  classification  of 

Diamonds  by...  ...  123 

Hoffmann’s  Coral-boring 

process  ...  ...  316 

Holland,  Amber  of  ...  223 

— - Diamond-cutting  in  37,41,  42 

- -  Diamond-trade  of  38 

“  Holy  Fire  ”  of  the  An¬ 
cients...  ...  ..  27 

Homer,  references  to  Gems 

by  ...  ...  ...  26 

Honduras,  Opal  of  ...  193,  195 
Honey,  dyeing  Agates,  &c, 

in  ...  ...  ...  5 x,  52 

Hope  Collection,  Gems  in 
61,  142,  163,  172,  195, 

211,  231,  244,  274 


PAGE 

“Hope”  Diamond  ...  139,  140 

Hornblende  ...  ...  246 

Hudleston,  Mr,  on  Kim¬ 
berley  Diamond-mine  95 

Humboldt’s  Companions, 

Diamonds  found  by  ...  81 

Hungary,  Opal,  &c.  of  192 — 1  95.  293 
Hyacinth  30,  31,  254,255,  309 — 312 
burning  of  ...  50 

“  Hyacinthus  ”  ...  ...  167 

Idar,  Agate-industry  of  ...  215 

■v  colouring  Agates, 

&c.  at  ...  52,  53,  238 

Idocrase  ...  ...  ...  31 

Imitation  of  Precious  Stones. 

See  Artificial  Gems. 
Inadamantine  Diamonds  ...  126 

India,  Cameos  from  ...  237,  238 
Coral  and  Onyx 
Ornaments  in  ...  ...  284,  316 

- Diamond-mines  of  19,  22,  137 

— — - — Diamond-rock  of ...  131 

Diamonds  of  57,  64, 

68,  80,  81,  100,  119 — ■  132 

- -  Gem-cutting  in  ...38,  39,  46 

jgjjggpll  Gem-monopoly  in  55 

|™||— A  Gems  abundant  in  22 

— - -  Precious  Stones  of, 

generally  24 — 26,  55, 

152,  154,  363,  i68fjd  « 

171,  180—203,  215, 

223,  228,  237—239, 

242,  25  1 ,  281,  303,  3 1 1 
- Rock-crystal  dyeing 


in  ...  ...  ...  51 

— ~ — —  uncut  stones  of  ...  60 

Indian  Ocean,  Coral  of  ...  315 

Indicolite  ...  ...  ...  306 

Insects  in  Amber  ...  ...  222,  225 

Intaglios  38,  47,  49,  156, 

194,  228,  235,  244, 

257  •••  295 

Intoxication,  Amethyst  an 

antidote  to  ...  ...  229 

lolite  ...  ...  ...  260 

Ireland,  Diamond  found  in  80 

- — - - Spodumene  of  ...  300 

“  Irish  Diamonds ”  ...  294 

Iron-mines,  Amethysts  in...  227 

Iron-ores  in  Jewelry  ...  257 

Iron-pyrites  in  Lapis-Lazuli  269 

■ - ■  as  affecting  colour  of 

■Diamonds  ...  ...  99 

Irvine,  Dr.,  on  supposed  find¬ 
ing  of  Turquoise  ...  203 

Iser  Mountains,  Sapphires  of  1 70 


33§ 


Index. 


PAGE 

Isidorus  on  Gems  ...  29,  30, 

176,  263 

“  Isle  of  Wight  Diamonds  ” 

29A 

Itaberite 

IO9 

Itacolumite...  ...  ..  : 

IO9 - I I I 

Italy,  Amber  of  ... 

223 

- Carnelian-engraving 

in 

49 

- Gems  in  ... 

49 

- Lapis-Lazuli  used  in 

271 

- - — ■  Stone-engraving  in 

48 

Jacinth  ...  ...  19, 

254,  309 

Jacinthe  la  Belle” 

3°9 

Jacobs’  first-discovered  Cape 

Diamond 

83 

Jacquelaine  on  Diamond  ... 

75 

Jade 

261, 262 

Jade-beads  worn  by  Chinese 

316 

Jagersfontein  Diamonds  19, 

22,  86,  98,  99 

Jameson  on  Diamond 

77 

Japan,  Diamond  rock-boring 

in 

1 46 

Jardin  des  Plantes,  Blue 

Sapphire  in  ... 

170 

Jargoon  ...  ...  ...; 

309—312 

Jarlet,  Diamond-cutter 

37 

Jasper  27 — 31,  59,  175,  213, 

z35,  263— 266,  272 
Java,  Diamonds  of...  ...  80 

Jenks,  Col.,  on  Corundum..  153 

Jewellers,  classification  of 

Carnelian,  &c.  by  ...  231,  237 
Jewel-market  at  Ratnapura  35 

Jewelry,  importance  of  science 

of  ...  ...  ...  19 

- artificial  Avanturine 

in  .  233 

- —  iron-ores  used  in  ...  237 

- Rock-crystal  in  ...  293 

Jewels,  Ancient,  imitation  of  26,  49 

-  Family,  importance 

or  rightly  estimating...  x 

- —  Homeric  ...  ...  26 

See  Gems.  Precious 
Stones. 

Jewish  High  Priest’s  Gem9  25,  26,  264 


Jews,  naming  Precious 

Stones  by  ...  ...  26 

-  Stone-engraving  in¬ 
troduced  by  ...  ...  48 

- trade  in  Gems  by  ..  38 

Jones,  Prof.  R.,  on  shingle 
of  Vaal  and  Orange 
Rivers...  ...  ...  89 

Josephine,  Empress,  Opal 

owned  by  ...  ...  195 


PAGE 

Julius  II.,  Pope,  Emerald, 

&c.  in  tiara  of  ...  179,  232 


Kandy,  working  of  stones  in 

55,  56 

Karoo-formation  ... 

86 

Katharinenberg.  See  Ural 

Mountains. 

Kentmann,  Point-cut  Gems 

known  to 

46 

“Kidney-stone”  ... 

258,  262 

Kimberley  'Diamond-fields.. 

94 — 100 

See  also  Africa. 


King,  Rev.  C.  W.,  on  Ame¬ 
thyst,  &c.  32,  125, 

167,  210,  228 
Klaproth  on  Chrysoprase, 

&c.  ...  ...  241,  244,  3 1 2 


Kluge,  Prof.,  reference  to 

work  of  ...  ...  xiii 

- —  on  engraved  Dia¬ 
mond  ...  ...  ...  61 

Koenig,  Mr.,  on  Amazonite  220 

Kohler  on  Malachite  cameo  274 

Koh-i-nur  ...  ...  ...  39,  128 

Kokscharow's  Topazes  ...  302 

“Kopjes”  (Diamond-yield¬ 
ing  hillocks)  ...  ...  91 

Koran  text  on  Turquoise  ...  205 

Krokidolite  ...  31,  200,  201,  246 
Kunz,  Mr.  G.,  on  American 

Gems  ...  ...  ...  320 

Kyanite  ...  ...  ...  31 

“Labora”  (imperfectly  cut 

Indian  stones)  ...  39 

Labrador  ...  ...  ...  267,  268 

La  Calle  Coral-fishery  ...  313 

Lacha  Pass,  find  of  Sap¬ 
phires  at  ...  ...  169 

Lanchero,  discovery  of  Muzo 

Emerald-mines  by  ...  182 

Lapidaries,  guilds,  &c.  of  34,  35,  42 
Lapis-Lazuli...  31,  166,  269 — 271 

-  imitating  colour  of  33 

Lavoisier  on  Diamond  ...  72,  73 

Laws  relating  to  Diamonds 

and  Rubies  ...  60,  114,  159 

Layard,  Mr.,  Indian  Cat’s 

Eye  possessed  by  ...  200 

Lazulite  ...  ...  ...  112 

Le  Blanc  on  incombusti¬ 
bility  of  Diamonds  ...  71 

Leghorn,  Coral-working  in  316 

Leipzig  Easter  Market,  fall 

in  price  of  Diamonds  at  58 

Leonhard  on  Diamond  ...  77 

“  Le  Saphir  Merveilleux  ”...  172 


Index. 


339 


PAGE 

Levant,  the.  Peridot  of  ...  286 

Levy  on  Cape  Diamond-rock  95 

Lewy,  M.,  on  colour  of 

Emerald  ...  ...  180 

Leyden,  Tourmaline  in  ...  305 

Liebig  on  Diamond  ...  77 

Lightning  Stone  ”  ...  210 

Li  gnite,  Amber  found  with  223 
Lisbon,  former  Gem-trade  of  38,  57 

“  Lithia  Emerald  ”  ...  259,  300 

Liversidge,  Prof.,  on  Dia¬ 
monds  ...  ...  103 

Livia,  Empress,  Crystal  pre¬ 
sented  by  ...  ...  294 

Loadstone  ...  ...  ...  28 

London,  Diamond-cutters  of  37,  38 

-  great  emporium  of 

Gems ...  ...  ...  56,  82 

Loop,  Mr.,  Sapphire  cut  by  17 1 

Louis  XI.,  large  Diamond 

owned  by  ...  ...  36 

Louis  XIII.,  Brilliant  first 

known  in  reign  of  ...  60 

-  Opal  portrait  of  ...  194 

Louis  XIV.,  Blue  Diamond 

worn  by  ...  ...  138 

Louis,  Duke  of  Anjou,  jewels 

of  .  35 

Lunans  ...  ...  ...  277 

Lustre  of  Diamond  and 

Emerald  .  68,  180 

Luther,  his  translation  of 

“Sarda”  ...  ...  236 

Lychnis  ...  ...  ...  28 

Lyncurion,  or  Lynx-stone  310 

Lynx-sapphire  ...  ...  3! 


MacDonald,  Major,  Tur¬ 
quoises  of  ...  ...  206 

Macquer,  M.,  burning  Dia¬ 
monds  by  ..  ...  71 

Madagascar  Rock-crystal  ...292 — 295 
Madras,  Emeralds  of  ...  180 

-  belief  respecting 

Rock-crystal  in  ...  124 

Magnetite  in  Crocidolite  ...  246 

Mahratta  Diamonds  ...  122 

Maillard,  burning  of  Dia¬ 
monds  by  ...  ...  72 

Malachite  19,  31,  173,  177,  272,  273 
Malays,  working  of  Gems 

bY  .  55>  56 

Mallet,  Mr.,  on  Corundum- 

mine  ...  ...  ...  155 

Mamusa,  Diamond  from  ...  86 

Mandeville  on  Diamonds...  136 

Mantuan  Vase  ...  ...  282 


PAGE 

Marbodus,  his  “  Lapidarium”  29 

— s - on  Moonstone  ...  278 

Marco  Polo  on  Lapis-Lazuli  270 

“  Marlborough  ”  Garnet  ...  250 

Marseilles,  Coral-working  in  316 

Martite  ...  ...  ...  no 

Maskelyne,  Prof.,  on  Cape 

Diamond-rock  ...  93 

Matura,  working  of  stones  in  56 

“Maxwell  Stuart”  Topaz  304 

Mazarin  Brilliants  ...  36,  60 

Medici,  Lorenzo  de’,  Stone¬ 
engraving  under  ...  48 

Medicine,  use  of  Diamonds, 

&c.  in  ...  59,  277,  301 

Mediterranean,  Coral  of  ...  314 

Medlicott  on  Indian  Dia- 


Mesny,  Mr.,  on  Burmese 
Gems... 

Mexico,  Emeralds,  Opals, 
&c.  of  178,  192 — 196, 
204,  207, 

-  use  of  Obsidian  in 

Michel  Angelo,  his  famous 
Carnelian 

Microscope,  Diamond  lens  lor 

Middle  Ages,  belief  regard¬ 
ing  Opal  in  ... 

- Peridot  of... 

- Turquoise  valued  in 

Midian,  Rock-crystal  and 


Turquoise  of 
Milk-opal  ... 

Minas-Geraes,  Diamonds  o'f 
107,  108,  ] 

- Tourmaline  at 

Minas-Novas,  Diamonds  of 
Minerals,  distribution  of 
Mitchell,  Sir  T. ,  owner  of 
first  Australian  Dia 
mond... 

Mithridates’  Onyx-cups  .. 
Mohammed  Ali,  Emerald- 
mines  worked  by 
Mohammed  Ben  Mansur  on 
Precious  Stones 
Mohammed  Ghori,  Dia¬ 
mond-discovery  in  time 
of  ... 

Mohs’  Scale  of  Hardness 
Moloch  ites.  . 

Mont  Blanc  environs.  Rock- 
crystal  of 

Monte  Somma,  Spinel  of.. 
Months,  Gems  worn  for 
special 


130 
1 60 


255,  286 
280 


239 

66 


*  95 
286 
205 


203> 


29' 


294 

31 

-”7 

3°7 

57 

22 


105 

283 

176 

1 76 


1 21 
324 
270 

293 

189 


30 


340 


Index. 


PAGE 

Moonstone  ...  ...276 — 279 

Moriarty,  Major,  Ruby 
brought  from  Afghan¬ 
istan  by  ...  ...  1 S 1 

Morion  ...  ...  ...  292 

Morveau,  G.  de,  on  Dia¬ 
mond  ...  ...  ...  74 

Mosaics,  use  of  Jasper  for...  264 
Mount  Adula,  Moonstone 

from  ...  ...  ...  277 

Mountain-ranges  and  Pre¬ 
cious  Stones  ...  ...  23 

Mourne  Mountains,  Topaz  of  303 
Mudgee Diamonds,  &c.  102,103,311 
Murano,  artificial  Avantu- 

rine  made  at  ...  ...  233 

Murat,  Prince,  fine  Aqua¬ 
marine  of  ...  ...  232 

Murchison,  Sir  R.,  on  pro¬ 
bable  finding  of  Dia¬ 
monds  at  the  Cape  ...  83 

Murray,  Mr.,  on  Irish  and 

VaalRiver Diamonds...  80,  89 
Museum  of  Practical  Geo- 
logy,  first  Australian 
Diamond  in  ...  ...  105 

Muzo,  celebrated  Emerald- 

mines  of  ...  ...181  —  183 


Nadir,  Shah,  Turquoise  of  203 

“  Naifes  ”  of  India...  ...  60 

Names  from  initial  letters  of 

Gems  ...  ...  32 

Naples,  Gems  at  ...  ...  49,  283 

Napoleon  III.,  his  Blue-Dia¬ 
mond  model  ...  ...  139 

Natrolite  ...  ...  ...  31 

Naxos,  Emery  (Naxium)  of  156,  157 
Needle  Stone  ...  ...  295 

Nephrite  ...  ...  ..  31,  262 

Nero’s  Emerald  and  Rock- 

crystal  cups  ...  ...  176,  294 

New  Caledonia,  Jade  of  ...  262 

New  Granada,  Emeralds  of 

22,  179,  180 

New  Guinea, probable  mine¬ 
ral  wealth  of ...  ...  162 

- Jade  of  ...  ...  262 

New  Mexico,  Garnet  of  ...  251 

‘‘New  Rush  ”  ...  ...  94 

New  South  Wales,  Diamonds 

of  ...  ...  ...  1  o  1 ,  ] 06 

- -  Precious  Stones  of, 

generally  162,  170,  189, 


193,  251,  265,  286,  303,  304 
New  Zealand,  Diamonds  of  320,  321 
-  Jade  used  in  ...  261 


Newton,  Sir  Isaac,  on  Dia¬ 
mond  ...  ...  66,  70,  71,  77 

Nickel  in  Chrysoprase  ...  244 

“  Nicolo  ”...  ...  ...  284 

Nicols  on  Red  Diamonds, 

Jasper  &c.  141,  191, 

202,  203,  264,  265,  271,  311 
Nicols’  Prism  ...  ...  326 

Noble  Opal  ...  ...  192 

Nonius  and  his  Opal  ...  194 

Norfolk  Coast,  Amber  of...  224 

Norway,  Spinel,  &c.  of 

189,251,278,297,311 
Nottinghamshire,  Selenite 

of  ...  ...  ...  276 

“Novas  Minas”  ...  ...  303 

Nuremberg,  Diamond-polish- 

ingin .  ...  34 

- -  Stone-engraving  in  49 


Oberstein,  colouring  Agates, 
&c.  at  52,  53,  215,  238 

-  Carnelian  found  at 

Obsidian  ... 

Occidental  Agate  ... 

Topaz 


243 

237 

280 

2 1 5 

302 

232 


Odescalchi  Gems  ...  ...  49, 

Odontolite  (Fossil  Tur¬ 
quoise)  ...  ...  206,  207 

Oeri,Dr.,  on  engraved  Onyx  282 
“Old  English  Cut”  Dia¬ 


monds 
Oligoclase  ... 
Olivine 


37-  44 
27!!,  279 
286 


“  Onicolo  ”  (Little  Onyx)... 

284 

Onomacritus  on  Gems 

27> 

191 

Onyx  19,  26,  30,  31,  48, 

52-  53-  59- 

237. 

28l 

— —  costly  according  to 

layers... 

48 

Onyx-dyeing 

52 

•>  53 

Opal  27,  31,  47,  191 — 196 

244 

-  ill-luck  connected 

with  ... 

27 

more  valued  formerly 

19S 

Opal-engraving 

194 

Opalescent  Ruby  ... 

I  60 

Optical  properties  of  Dia- 

mond  ... 

63, 

324 

Opticians,  use  of  Rock-crystal 

and  Tourmaline  by  294, 

295. 

3°6 

Orange  River  Crocidolite... 

246, 

247 

- Diamonds... 

86 

,_g8 

Oriental  Agate 

213 

- Amethyst...  154, 

1 60, 

227 

-  Carnelian  ... 

5° 

- Cat’sEye...  18, 

240, 

246 

Index. 


341 


PAGE 


Oriental  Chrysolite 

240 — 242,  286 

- Emerald  ... 

154 

- Onyx 

1  9,  281 — 284 

- Opal 

...  1  9*,  193 

- Peridot 

285 

- Ruby  154, 

158 — l6J,  187 

- — —  Sapphire  ... 

160,  167,  172 

- Star  Ruby... 

...  211 

- Topaz 

...  i54,  3oz 

■ - Turquoise .. . 

2°3 

Orientals,  veneration  of 

Asteria  by 

209 

Orleans  Collection,  engraved 

Gems  in  ...  50,  172,  194,  205 
Orpheus  on  Precious  Stones 

28,  278,  317 
Orthoclase...  ...  ...  279 

Oude,  Sultan  of,  Emerald 
presented  by,  to  Her 
Majesty  ...  ...  181 

Oxus  District,  Lapis-Lazuli 

and  Rubies  from  ...  161,  270 

Pacific  Ocean,  Coral  of  ...  315 

“Pans”  ...  ...  ...  92 

Paraguay  River,  Diamonds  in  1 1  3 
Paris,  Amber  wares  of  ...  224 

-  Diamond-cutting, 

&c.  in  ...  ...  35,37 

- Gem-polishers’ Guild 

in  .  34 

Paris  Collections,  Gems  in 

232,  235,  283,  293,  303,  310 

- -  Exhibition,  Gems 

in  .  6r,  139,  195 

See  France. 

Paris,  M.,  Muzo  mines 

worked  by  ...  ...  182 

“  Parisite  ”  ...  ...  182,  183 

Parrot  on  Diamond  ...  77 

Paulina’s  dress  of  Emeralds 

and  Pearls  ...  ...  29 

Pavilion  of  the  Brilliant  ...  44 

Payen  on  Diamond-localities  81 

Pearls  ...  xv,  18,  26,29,  3'9 

Pebbles  of  Rock-crystal  ...  294 

Pedro,  Dom,  Diamond  prices 

affected  by  ...  ...  58 

Pegu,  ‘‘Fatherland  of  Ru¬ 
bies”  ...  ...  ...  159,  161 

■ - - —  Garnet,  Spinel,  &c. 

55,  i87,  l8g,  241,  251 
Pepin,  King,  signet-ring  of  48 

Peridot  ...  ...  19,  285 — 287 

Persia,  Amethyst,  Sapphire, 
and  Turquoise  of  168, 

203,  204,  228 


PAGE 

Persia,  Shah  of,  fine  Tur¬ 
quoises  of  ...  ...  203 

Persian  Gulf,  Coral  of  ...  315 

Peru,  Emeralds  of...  ...  178,  179 

Peruvians,  Labrador  from 

tombs  of  ...  ...  267 

Peruzzi,  V.,  Brilliant  cut  by  44 

Petzholdt  on  Diamond  ...  73,  77 

Phenakite  ...  ...  ...  288,  289 

Phoenicians,  export  of  Gems  by  26 

Philo  on  High  Priest’s 

gemmed  robe...  ...  25 

Phosphorescence  of  Diamond  69 
Physics  essential  to  science 

of  Jewelry  ...  ...  20 

Pick,  Prof.,  on  Onyx,  &c...  283,  301 
“  Pigeon’s  Blood  ”  hue  of 

Rubies  ...  ...  164,  165 

Pile-dwellings,  Jade  found  in  261 

Pink  Topaz,  resembling 

Ruby . 164,  165 

“  Pipes  ”  in  Diamond-bear¬ 
ing  rock  ...  ...  92 — 95 

Pitt  (or  Regent)  Diamond  128 

Pittar,  Leverson,  &  Co., 

Spinel  of  ...  ...  187 

Pizarro,  Peruvian  Gems 

broken  by  ...  ...  178 

Plaster-of-Paris  for  copying 

Gems ...  ...  ...  50 

Platinum  with  Precious 

Stones...  ...  ...  24 

Plato  on  Precious  Stones  ...  28 

Pleiochroism  ...  ...  327 

Pleonaste  ...  ...  102,  186,  189 


Pliny  on 

Diamond, 

Eme- 

raid, 

Sapphire 

&c. 

26,  29,  64, 

*58, 

1 66 — 

1  68, 

*75— 

->77. 

190, 

*94, 

202, 

208, 

z43> 

252, 

264, 

2/2, 

.  278, 

281,  292,  294 

on  colouring  Pre- 


cious  Stones  ... 

51 

- Diamond-engraving 

unknown  before  time  of 

60 

- Star  Sapphire  known 

to 

210 

Plutarch  on  Aster  ... 

210 

Poets,  the  older,  on  Ruby... 

162 

Point-cut  Gems 

46 

Polarization  of  Light  Dy 

Gems  ...  ...  67,  3 

06.  326 

Polishing  of  Precious  Stones 

34,  4° 

Polycrates’  Ring  ... 

27,  28 

Pompeii,  Emerald  orna- 

ments  from  ... 

175 

342  Index. 


PAGE 

PAGE 

Porcelain  Jasper  ...  ... 

265 

Prices  of  Gems : — 

Porphyry  ... 

3b  32 

Amethyst 

228 

Porter-Rhodes,  Mr.,  blue- 

Balas  Ruby  ... 

I  90 

white  Cape  Diamond 

Black  Opal  ... 

196 

of 

98 

Carbuncle 

253 

Portland  Vase 

168 

Cat’s  Eye 

l  qq,  200 

Portrait  Stones  ...46,  49, 

194,  265 

Coral  ... 

3 1 7 

Portraits  on  Diamonds 

6l 

Emerald 

184 

Portugal,  former  Gem-trade 

Garnet 

252 

in 

38 

Hiddenite 

259 

Prague,  Chrysoprase  in  Ca- 

Malachite 

273 

thedral  at 

243 

Oriental  Onyx 

284 

Precious  Opal 

>92 

Rock-Crystal.  . 

293—295 

— - Spinel 

1 86 

Rubellite 

3°7 

Precious  Stones,  alphabet  of 

31 

Ruby  ... 

x,  162 

■ -  ancients’  use  of. 

Sapphire 

170,  172 

See  Ancients. 

Sard-Onyx 

283 

- bruting  of... 

33 

Spinel  Ruby  ... 

I  90 

— - burning  of. .. 

5°;  5 1 

Star  Ruby 

210 

- buying  of... 

58 

Star  Sapphire 

210 

- cleaving  of 

33 

Topaz 

302 

-  colouring  or  dyeing. 

Tourmaline  ... 

3°7 

See  Colouring.  Idar. 

Turquoise 

205,  206 

Oberstein. 

Prinsep,  Mr.,  on  Turq 

uoise 

203 

cutting  and  polish- 

Pritchard,  Mr.  his  Diamond 

ingof... 

33—47 

microscopic  lens 

66 

— - definition  of 

I  7— -20 

Prussian  Amber 

224 

- determination  of  ... 

ix,  x 

Psellos  on  Emerald 

177 

- discrimination  of  ... 

322 

Ptolemy  Hephsestion 

on 

• - distribution  of 

23 

Aster  ... 

210 

- -  engraving  of.  See 

Pumice-stone  for  cutting 

Engraving. 

Carnelian 

237 

- forms  of.  See  under 

Purchase  of  Precious  Stones, 

Specific  Gravity,  &c. 

caution  essential  in  ... 

58 

- found  incurrents  and 

Pyro-electricity  of  Top 

az... 

302 

mountain  ranges 

23 

- oi  Tourmaline 

3°6 

-  gold  and  platinum 

Pyrope  (Bohemian 

Gar- 

found  with 

24 

net) 

3G 

253,  254 

- habitat  of... 

21 

- —  identification  of  ... 

20 

Quartz  ...  31,213, 

227,  292 

• - past  uses  of 

25 

— — -  artificial  colouring 

■ - -  prices  of.  See 

of 

5i 

Prices.  Value. 

Quartz  Agate. 

3 1 

- Scripture  references 

-• — - Cat’s  Eye  ... 

1 97; 

198,  290 

to.  See  Bible. 

Queensland,  future  Diamond- 

- - selection  of 

43 

field  of 

82,  106 

-  superstitions  con- 

Opal  of  ... 

1 93,  194 

cerning.  See  Supersti- 

tions. 

Rainbow  Agate  ... 

2'5 

- trade  in  ...  26,55 — 61 

Quartz 

295 

-  various  kinds  of, 

Ratnapura,  jewel-market  at 

56 

found  together 

24 

Red  Diamonds 

1 3  6,  141 

- work  ingof 

OO 

1 

CO 

CO 

- -  Jasper 

264,  265 

See  Gems.  Jewels. 

-  Spinels 

186 

Semi-precious  Stones. 

Tourmaline 

3°7 

Prescott  on  Mexican  Erne- 

Red-oxide  of  copper,  Mala- 

raids 

77;  I78 

chite  from  ,,, 

<  t  « 

273 

Index. 


343 


PAGE 

Red  Sea,  Coral  of .. .  ...  315 

Reflection  and  Refraction  of 

Diamond,  &c.  65 — 67,  306,  324 
“Regent”  Diamond  ...  128 

Resins,  Amber  imitated  by  222,  225 
Riband  Agate  ...  ...  214 

-  Jasper  ...  ...  265 

Rinuccini,  Marchese,  re¬ 
markable  Sapphire  of  171 
Ritter,  Carl,  on  Diamond¬ 
mining  in  India  ...  120,121 
River-beds,  Agates  in  ...  213 

River-gravels,  Diamonds  in  89 

- of  New  South  Wales  102 

Rock-boring  with  Carbonado  145 
Rock-crystal  19,  51,  124,  291 — 296 
-  curious  beliefs  re¬ 
specting  . 124,  294 

- dyeing  of  ...  ...  51 

- remarkable  discovery 


of  ...  ...  ...  293 

Rock  Turquoise  ...  ...  207 

Rogers,  Brothers,  on  Dia¬ 
mond...  ...  ...  75 

Romans,  Amber  esteemed 

by  .  224 

-  Lunaris,  or  Moon¬ 
stone,  of...  ...  ...  277 

- Precious  Stones  much 

used  by  .  29,  48 

- Rock-crystal  vessels 


„ .  294>  295 

Stone-colouring  by  ji,  52 
Stone-engraving  by 


49,  1  7 1 ,  250 

Rome,  Emerald  ornaments 

Aug  up  in  .  175 

Rome  de  l  isle,  Spinel  ana¬ 
lyzed  by  .  189 

Rose  on  Chrysoberyl  ...  241 

■  experiments  on  Dia¬ 


mond  by 
Rose  Brilliant 

- Diamonds... 

-  Garnets  ... 

- Quartz 

Recoupee... 


Rose-coloured  Diamonds 
Rose-cut  Diamond... 

Rough  Diamonds  ... 

Rubellite  ... 

Rubicelle  ... 

Rudler,  Mr.  F.  W.,  aid  to 

present  work  by  ...  xvi 
Ruby  26—32,  47,  55-58, 

102,  151—165,  168, 

I73,  174,  186 — 19G 


••  75,  94 

..  44—46 

67 

34 

32 

46 

141 

44 — 46,  60 

•■H8— 15° 

..  306,  307 
189 


PAGE 


Ruby,  relative  rank  of  ...  18 

-  burning  out  white 

spots  of  ...  ...  50 

-  in  smelting-furnace  71 

-  historical...  ...  163 

Rundle  and  Bridge,  rough 

Diamond  sold  by  ...  63 

Ruskin,  Prof.,  on  uncut 

Precious  Stones  ...  33 

Russia,  Precious  Stones  of 


189,  218,  268,  273,  274,  288 


- first  finding  of  Dia¬ 
monds  in  ...  ...  81 

- ! -  proverb  concerning 

Turquoise  in...  ...  205 

Russia,  Czar  of.  Alexandrite 

named  after  ...  ...  218 

- Malachite  vase  made 

for  .  274 

Russian  Regalia  ...  ...  37,  163 

See  Saint  Petersburg. 

Rutile  . 1 10,  292 


Saffragam,  Precious  Stones 
of 

Sahara  Mountains,  Eme¬ 
ralds  of 

Saint  Francis  de  Sales,  his 
“Devout  Life” 

Saint  Peter’s  at  Rome, 
Onyx-pillars  in 
Saint  Petersburg,  use  of 
Lapis-Lazuli  in 

-  Collection,  Gems 

in  47—49,  238,  273, 
See  Russia. 

Salzburg,  Emerald-crystals 
of 

“Sand”  in  Precious  Stones 
Sangaris  River,  luminous 
Aster  from 

Santa  Fe,  Emerald  and  Tur¬ 
quoise  mines  near  1 8 1  - 
Santa  Rosa  Emerald-mines 
“  Saphir  d’Eau”  ... 
Sapphire  26 — 32,  55  -  59, 
102,  1 5 1  — 174,  i87, 


55,  56 

181 

5i 

283 

271 
302,  303 

181 

58 

210 

183,  204 

183 

260 


in  ancient  times 
burning  of 
celebrated... 
counterfeits  of 


- engraved  ... 

-  imperfections  in 

- relative  rank  of 

Sard,  Sarda,  Sardius  28, 

59: 


227,  241 
47 
5° 
170 
172 

'7' 

172 

18 

236>  37 


344 


Index . 


PAGF. 

Sardonyx  ...  31,  32,  237,  238,  284 

-  costly  according  to 

layers,  &c.  ...  ...  48 

Saxony,  Precious  Stones  of 
170,  213,  231,  253, 

302,  303,  307 
Scarabasan  Gems  ...  ...  23 

“  SchafFhausen  ”  Onyx  ...  282 

Schorl  ...  ...  ...  306 

Scotland,  Agate,  Jasper, 

and  Topaz  of  21 6,  217,  265,  303 

- Rock-crystal  of  ...  293 

Scott,  Sir  Walter,  on  Opal  195 
‘‘Sea-Water”  Diamonds...  134 
Selenite  ...  ...  ...276—279 

Semi-Opal...  ...  ...  192 

Semi-Precious  Stones  19, 

25.  31,  +2,  57,  212 

-  cutting  of...  ...  42 

Seneca  on  Emerald  and 

Rock-crystal  ...  ...  176,  292 

Serpentine,  Spinel  found 

with  ...  ...  ...  187 

Seybert  on  glucina  in  Chry- 

soberyl  ...  ...  241 

“Shameer”  (Emery)  ...  155 

“Shouham”  ...  ...  283 

Siam,  Rubies,  &c.  of  164,  168,  188 
Siam,  King  of,  Brilliant 

owned  by  ...  ...  97 

Siberia,  Precious  Smnes  in 
22,  24,  220,  223,  228, 

231,  233,  263,  270, 

288,  302,  307,  31 1 


-  Obsidian  of  ...  280 

Sicily,  Amber  and  Jasper 

of  ...  ...  223,  224,  265 

- Coral  of  ...  ...  31 J 

Siebengebirge,  Sapphires  of  170 

Signet-Rings,  for  kings’ 

use,  &c.  ...  ...  29,  48 

- -  mentioned  by  He¬ 
rodotus  ...  ...  28 

Silesia,  Chrysoprase  of  ...  244,  245 
Silica,  basis  of  Emerald  ...  174 

Simler  on  Diamond  ...  78 

Sleep  induced  by  wearing 

Zircon  ...  ...  309 

“Smaragdus  ”  ...  175 — 177,  272 

Smith,  Dr.  L.,  his  discovery 

of  Corundum...  ...  157 

Smits,  Mr.  J..  on  Borneo 

Diamond-diggings  ...  133 

Smoky  Quartz  ...  ...  292 

Society  of  Friends,  Peridot 

valued  by  ...  ...  286 

Solinus  on  Hyacinthus  167 


323 

60 


Sonstadt’s  Solution 
Sorrel,  Agnes,  probable  use 
of  Diamonds  by 
South  Africa.  See  Africa. 

South  Kensington  Museum, 

Gems  in  ...  ...  206,  231 

Spain,  probability  of  finding 

Diamonds  in  ...  ...  80 

-  Emerald,  Garnet, 

&c.  of  ...  179,  223,  228,  251 

207 

267 


- use  of  Calconite  in 

Spaniards,  Indian  Labrador 
ornaments  discovered  by 
Specific  Gravity,  modes  of 
taking 

- Chemical  Composi¬ 
tion,  &c.  of  Special 
Gem-stones : — 

Agate 
Alexandrite 
Almandine 
Amazonite... 

Amber 
Amethyst  ... 
Aquamarine 
Asteria 
Avanturine 
Bloodstone... 
Carbuncle  ... 
Carnelian  ... 

Cat’s  Eye  ... 
Chrysolite  ... 
Chrysoprase 
Corundum  ... 
Crocidolite... 

Diamond  ...  64, 

Emerald 
Essonite 
Euclase 
Felspar 
Garnet 
Hematite  ... 
Hiddenite  ... 

Hyacinth  ... 
lolite 
Jade 
Jargoon 
Jasper 

Labrador  ... 
Lapis-Lazuli 
Malachite  ... 
Moonstone 
Obsidian  ... 
Oligoclase  ... 

Opal 

Oriental  Onyx 
Orthoclase ,,, 


322 


217 
219 
253 
221 
226 
229 
232 
21 1 

23+ 

235 

253 

239 

198 

287 

245 

1 57 
247 


65, 

>*5 
255,  3" 

248 
279 

249 

238 

259 

3 ' 2 

260 
262 
312 
266 
268 
27  1 

275 

279 

280 
279 
1 96 
284 
279 


Index. 


345 


PAGE 

Specific  Gravity,  Chemical 
Composition,  &c.  of 
Special  Gem-stones — 

continued: — 


Peridot 

287 

Phenakite  ... 

289 

Pyrope 

254 

Rock  Crystal 

296 

Ruby 

165 

Sapphire  ... 

173 

Selenite 

279 

Sphene 

298 

Spinel 

190 

Spodumene 

300 

Sunstone  ... 

279 

Topaz 

304 

Tourmaline 

3O8 

Turquoise  ... 

208 

Uwarowite 

256 

Zircon 

311,  312 

Specular  Iron 

no,  258 

Sphene 

297,  298 

Spinel  102,  1 12,  186 — 

iqo,  241 

-  resemblance  oij  to 

Ruby... 

164..  163 

Spinel-Ruby 

186 

Splitting  of  Precious  Stones 

39,  4° 

Spodumene  ...  259, 

299,  300 

Star  Aquamarine  ... 

21 1 

- Brilliant  ... 

45 

- Emerald  ... 

21 1 

- Garnet 

21  I 

- Ruby  ...  160,209 — 21 1 

- Sapphire  ...  ...209 — 211 

- Stones  ...  ...209 — 21 1 

- Topaz  . 209 — 21 1 

Star-facets  of  the  Brilliant 

44 

“  Star  of  South  Africa  ”  ... 

96 

“Star  of  the  South  ” 

114 

Step-cut  Gems 

46 

“  Stewart  ”  Diamond 

97 

Stone-engraving.  See  En- 

graving  Diamonds,  &c. 

Stow,  Mr.,  on  drift  deposits 

91 

Strabo  on  use  of  Precious 

Stones,  &c. 

26 

-  on  an  Emerald- 

mine  ... 

1 76 

Strasburg  Stone-engraving 

49 

Streeter,  Mr.  E.  W.,  Dia- 

mond  exhibited  by  ... 

98 

- Gems  in  collection  of  99,  3 1 1 

- Mr.  G.  Skelton,  sup- 

posed  New  Guinea 

Ruby  seen  by... 

162 

Strozzi  Collection,  engraved 

Sapphire  in  ... 

171 

PAGE 

Sulphur  for  copying  Gems  50 

Sumatra  Diamonds  ...  go 

Sumbulpur  Diamonds  ...121  — 130 

Sunstone  ...  ...  ...276 — 279 

Superstitions  connected  with 
Precious  Stones  27 — 30, 

59,  60,  128,  160,  168, 

,69.  175.  *78,  1S8, 

195,  201,  205,  210, 

224,  225,  229,  264, 

272,  277,  281,  309,  317,  318 

Sweden,  Amber,  &c.  of  189, 

.223,251  300 

Switzerland,  Diamond-cut¬ 
ting  in  41,42 

-  Jade  in  pile-dwel¬ 
lings  of  ...  ...  261 

- —  Sapphire,  &c.  of 

170,  251,  254,  255,  293,  297 
Syrians,  Diamond  ornaments 

used  by  ...  ...  59 

Table  of  the  Brilliant  ...  44 

“  Table-cutters”  of  Nurem- 

, ,  bel'g .  34 

i  agore,  Rajah,  on  Precious 

Stones  of  India  ...  122 

Tallow-topped  stones  ...  47 

Tavernier,  Blue  Diamond 

purchased  by ...  ..  137 — 139 

- on  Diamond  ...  79 

- on  Indian  Diamond- 

mines  126,  127,  130,  137,  138 

-  Indian  Topaz  seen 

by  ...  ...  ...  302 

Temperature  for  Diamond¬ 
burning  ...  ...  73 

“Tenth  Mazarin  ”  ...  36,60 

Test  of  Agates  for  dyeing...  52 

“  Thelk  Lephy  ”  engraved 

on  Ruby  ...  ...  163 

Theodoras  of  Samos,  en¬ 
graver  of  stones  ...  27 

Theophrastus  on  Precious 
Stones  28,  158,  166, 

213,  269,  294,  310 
Thomson  on  Chrysoberyl...  241 

Thronus,  Diamond-engrav¬ 
ing  by  ...  .,.  61 

“Thunderbolts”  associated 

with  Diamonds  ...  77 

Tiara-jewels  ...  ...  179,  232 

Tibago  Diamonds...  ...  in 

Tiger’s  Eye  ...  _  ...  200 

Tippoo  Sahib,  Emerald  worn 

by  .  179 

Titanite  ...  ...  ...  297 


Z 


346 


Index. 


PAGE 

Tobin,  Mr.,  on  Vaal  River 

90 

Topaz  19,26 — 32,  59,  102, 

1 10,  1 1 2,  240,  241, 

OO 

Lo 

O 

T 

C/o 

O 

- pink  colour  of,  due  to 

burning 

5° 

- pyro-electricity  of. .. 

302 

Torquinado  on  Calconite  ... 

207 

Tourmaline  56,  110,  240, 

24U  3°S— 3°8 

Trade  in  Amber  ... 

224 

-  in  Brilliants 

150 

-  in  Carnelians 

238 

- —  in  Diamonds,  panics 

in 

1 1 7,  118 

in  Precious  Stones 

generally 

55—61 

Transylvania,  Spinels  of  ... 

189 

Trellus  on  Moonstone 

278 

Trezzo,  supposed  inventor 

of  Diamond-engraving  49,  60,  61 

Triphane  ... 

259 

Tropics  in  regard  to  Gems 

22,  23 

True  Cat’s  Eye 

197 

Tschudi  on  Brazilian  Dia- 

monds 

117 

Turkestan  Jade 

261 

Turkey,  Turquoise  said  to 

be  cut  in 

203 

Turquoise...  ...  32,202 — 208 

-  imitating  colour  of 

53 

- resemblance  of  Chry- 

socolla  to 

275 

Turquoise-cameo  in  Vienna 

Collection 

47 

Twelve  Apostles,  repre- 

sented  by  Gems 

3°’  31 

‘  ‘  T welve  Mazarins  ” 

36 

Twin-colours  of  Gems 

327 

T  winned-crystals  of  Dia- 

monds 

62 

Tyre,  Emerald  column  at 

28 

Tyrol,  Jasper,  &c.  of  265, 

293,  300 

Ultra-marine  (Lapis)  ...  32 

- obtained  from  Lapis- 


Lazuli 

271 

-  artificial  .... 

271 

United  States.  See  America. 

Ural  Mountains,  Diamonds, 

Emeralds,  &c.  of  22, 

24,  80,  81,  1 8 1 ,  2x9, 

231,  241,  248,  272, 

288,  302, 

3°7 

-  gold-bearing  allu- 

vium  of 

I  12 

Uranite 

32 

PAGE 

Uruguay,  Agate  and  Carne- 

lian  of  ..  215,  237,  28 1 

Uwarowite  ...  ...  255 

Uzielli  Collection,  engraved 

Amethyst  in  ...  ...  ,  228 

Vaal  River  Diamonds  85,  97,  99 
Vaalite  ...  ...  ...  93 

Value  of  Gems,  importance 

of  ascertaining  ...  ix,  x 

• -  affected  by  fashion  xi,  58 

- rise  and  fall  of  ...  58 

See  Prices  of  Gems. 

Van  Niekirk’s  Cape  Dia¬ 
mond  ...  ...  83,  84,  96 

Variscite  ...  ...  ...  208 

Vatican,  Red  Jasper,  &c. 

in  ...  ...  264,  282,  295 

Vegetable  origin  of  Dia¬ 
mond  ...  ...  ...  77 

Venice,  experiments  on 

coloured  Diamond  in  37 

-  formerly  chief  seat 

of  Diamond-trade  ...  44 

“  Venus’s  Hair-stone”  ...  278,  293 
Verd-antique  (Porphyry)  ...  32 

Versailles  Palace,  Malachite 

in  .  274 

Vesuvianite  ...  ...  32 

Vesuvian  lavas,  Peridot  in...  286 

Victoria,  H.  M.  Queen, 

Opals  favoured  by  ...  27,  195 

-  large  Emerald  pre¬ 
sented  to  ...  ...  1 8 1 

Victoria,  Rubies,  &c.  in 

105,  106,  162,  188,  189,  251 

- Exhibition  of  Gems  in  105 

Vienna  Collection,  Gems  in 
47,  49,  62,  136,  140, 

195,  239,  282 

Vindhyan  Rocks,  Diamonds 


of  ...  ...  ...  120,  131 

Vinegar,  steeping  Carbuncle 

in  .  51 

Virginia,  remarkable  Dia¬ 
mond  found  in  ...  320 

Vivianite  in  Fossil  Turquoise  207 

Vogel,  M„  on  Coral  ...  317 

Voysey  on  Indian  Diamond- 

miners  ...  124,  125,  129 

Wales  (North),  Jasper  of ...  265 

“  Wardrobe  Book  of  Ed¬ 
ward  I.”  ...  ...  285 

Water-Sapphire  ...  ...  32 

Wellington,  Duke  of,  Black 

Diamond  possessed  by  142 


Index.  347 


PAGE 


Westropp,  Mr.  Hodder  W., 
on  Brazilian  Diamond¬ 
mining-  ...  ...  no 

White  Diamonds  ...  ...  136 

- Sapphires  ...  ...  160 

Williams,  Mr.  A.,  on  mine¬ 
rals  of  United  States...  320 
Williams,  Mr.  G.,  experi¬ 
ments  on  Emerald  by  180 

Wilson,  G.,  on  Diamond  78 

Wohler  on  Diamond  ...  78 

- and  Deville,  crystal¬ 
lization  of  Boron  by  ...  146 

Wollaston,  Dr.,  on  cleavage 

of  Diamonds...  ...  63 

Wolsey,  Cardinal,  Sapphire 

with  crest  of .  171 


PAGE 

Wood-Opal  ...  ...  32 

Working  Precious  Stones...  33 

Xanthite .  32 

Xylotile  ...  ...  ...  32 

Yellow  Diamond...  ...  78,  97 

-  Sapphire  ...  134,  160,  302 

Zillerthal,  Almandine  of  230 

Zirconia  and  Zirconium  ...  312 

Zircons  19,  32,  102,  187,  309 — 312 

-  colourless,  sold  as 

Diamonds  ...  ...  31 1 

Zircon-Syenite  ...  ...  311 

Zurlite  ...  ...  ...  32 


This  Index  has  been  prepared  by  Mr,  Thomas  W.  Newton,  F  R.  Hist,  Soc. 


£ 


GETTY  CENTER  LIBRARY  CONS 

QE  392  S91  1887  BKS 

c.  1  Streeter,  Edwin  Will 

Precious  stones  and  gems  :  their  history 


3  3125  00343  8021 


